Raven Run Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Caramel Swirl Returns To Churchill Downs After Raven Run Win

Godolphin's Caramel Swirl, narrow winner of Saturday's Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run over Joy's Rocket, returned to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday night to trainer Bill Mott's barn.

The victory kept Caramel Swirl's record at Keeneland perfect as she had posted a 10¼-length maiden-breaking score at the Lexington, Ky., track in April.

The Lexus Raven Run also featured another bang-up effort by Team Hanley and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Joy's Rocket, who in her other Keeneland start posted a three-length victory in the Songbird Stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard last November.

“It was a head bob; her head was up and the other filly had her head down at the wire,” said Ronny Werner, assistant to Joy's Rocket's trainer, Steve Asmussen. “She is fine this morning. She ran hard. She loves this track and she showed it when she won that stakes last year.”

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Caramel Swirl Rallies Late To Win Raven Run At Keeneland

Seventh in the field of eleven early, Caramel Swirl did not let traffic stop her from making a bid for the lead in the Grade 2 Raven Run. Over a fast track at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., the daughter of Union Rags went five-wide around the far turn to find racing room and outlast Joy's Rocket to win by a head.

Breaking cleanly from post eight, Junior Alvarado positioned Caramel Swirl toward the back of the pack early behind the leader Strong Silent and Cilla in second. Three-wide on the backstretch, traffic forced Alvarado to take his filly even wider on the far turn to find running room in the Keeneland straight. As Cilla took over the lead in the early stretch, Caramel Swirl and Joy's Rocket rallied to her outside. The two were head to head as they passed Cilla in late stretch, Caramel Swirl eking out a short lead as they approached the finish line.

At the wire, Caramel Swirl held the advantage over Joy's Rocket with Cilla in third. The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:23.42.

Find this race's chart here.

Caramel Swirl paid $8.60, $5.60, and $4.40. Joy's Rocket paid $19.60 and $10.40. Cilla paid $7.40.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Godolphin, Caramel Swirl is out of the Smart Strike mare Caramel Snap. She is trained by Bill Mott. With her win the G2 Raven Run, the 3-year-old filly has three wins in seven starts in 2021 for a lifetime record of 9-3-3-1 and career earnings of $317,300.

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Cilla, Souper Sensational Renew Rivalry In Raven Run

P. Dale Ladner's Cilla and Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational, who finished a half-length apart in last month's Prioress (G2) at Saratoga, headline a field of 13 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for Saturday's 23rd running of the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) going 7 furlongs on the main track at Keeneland.

The Lexus Raven Run is scheduled as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Trained by Brett Brinkman, Cilla returned Tuesday afternoon to Keeneland, where she finished sixth as a 62-1 shot in the Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. Since then, the Louisiana-bred daughter of California Chrome has won three consecutive races highlighted by the Prioress victory.

Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount Saturday and break from post position seven.

Souper Sensational, winner of the Victory Ride (G3) at Belmont Park who has placed in three graded stakes, was runner-up in the Grade 1 Test prior to her run in the Prioress. Trained by Mark Casse, Souper Sensational will exit post position three and be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr.

Another Grade 2 winner in the field is Juddmonte's homebred Obligatory.

Trained by Bill Mott, Obligatory won the Eight Belles (G2) on April 30 at Churchill Downs going 7 furlongs. Runner-up in the Cotillion (G1) at Parx in her most recent start, Obligatory drew post 13 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux.

The field for the Lexus Raven Run, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

Shalimar Gardens (Rafael Bejarano, 118 pounds)
Joy's Rocket (Julien Leparoux, 118)
Souper Sensational (Santana Jr., 118)
Minute Waltz (Martin Garcia, 118)
Strong Silent (Corey Lanerie, 118)
Feeling Mischief (Mitchell Murrill, 118)
Cilla (Gaffalione, 120)
Caramel Swirl (Junior Alvarado, 118)
Zainalarab (John Velazquez, 118)
Someone Said So (Adam Beschizza, 118)
Miss Speedy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118)
Just Read It (Gerardo Corrales, 118)
Obligatory (Florent Geroux, 120)

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Filly & Mare Sprint: Raven Run Winner Venetian Harbor To Remain At Keeneland ‘For Now’

California-based trainer Richard Baltas has a string of horses at Churchill Downs, but for now Venetian Harbor will remain at Keeneland following her neck victory over Finite in Saturday's $200,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) at the Lexington, Ky., track.

“She will stay at Keeneland for now, and we will see how she is doing in the next few days,” Baltas said via text Sunday morning.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor may have earned herself a spot in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 7, a spot that co-owner Joseph Ciaglia said was likely after the race.

Venetian Harbor found herself on an uncontested lead and was able to hold off Finite to secure her second Grade 2 victory.

The runner-up finish by Finite came on her first start on dirt in seven months.

“Yesterday was a big effort and we'll see how she trains going forward,” said David Fiske, Racing and Bloodstock Manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, the principal owner in the filly's partnership group, via text. “There are no plans for her yet. We all were pleased to see her return to a level of competition that we thought she was capable of.”

Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Lael Stables' Reagan's Edge, who finished fourth beaten a nose for third and less than a length for the win, came out of the race in good shape.

“She ran her heart out yesterday and is a little tired this morning,” DeVaux said. “She is nominated to the (Qatar) Fort Springs (here on Nov. 7) but that may be coming back a little quick.”

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