Susie Raisher Photo

Raging Sea rallies to G2 Shuvee score

by Keith McCalmont

Alpha Delta Stables’ multiple graded stakes-winning Kentucky-homebred Raging Sea surged up the rail to overtake pacesetter Misty Veil and capture Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee, a nine-furlong route for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown and piloted by Flavien Prat, the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin proved much the best with a well-timed run to score by 2 1/2-lengths in a final time of 1:51.95.

Brown credited Prat with a head's up ride after Venti Valentine stumbled badly at the start from post 2 with 7-5 favorite Shotgun Hottie bobbling at the break to the inside of that one in the compact field of five.

“There was a lot of commotion inside with the two [Venti Valentine] and the one [Shotgun Hottie], so I think Flavien just [had] another brilliant ride and decision to take the initiative,” Brown said. “Our horse, on paper, could’ve been last early. She is not a frontrunning horse, but he got ahead of the one, which I think was the key decision that first turn which took that horse out of her preferred running style. So, in the context of almost a match race maybe between the two on class, being positioned ahead of that horse was really a big advantage from that point forward.”

The Ramon Vazquez-piloted Misty Veil, who was racing in foal to Maxfield, dictated terms through splits of 23.94 seconds and 48.91 over the fast main track with Just Katherine tracking to the outside in second and Raging Sea saving ground on the rail in third.

Misty Veil led the field into the final turn with Raging Sea maintaining her inside position and Shotgun Hottie taking an outside run under Paco Lopez. Prat asked Raging Sea for her best late in the turn and Raging Sea responded with a smart turn-of-foot, taking over inside the three-sixteenths and drawing away to score comfortably. Shotgun Hottie arrived on the scene late to secure place honors over Misty Veil with Just Katherine and Venti Valentine rounding out the order of finish.

Prat said he took advantage of a sharp start by Raging Sea amidst the chaotic break.

“I didn’t envision the race to go that way, but she jumped well, and when I saw Venti Valentine having a bad break, I asked her to get herself into the race and after that, I was able to stalk [along] the rail the whole way. She did the rest,” Prat said. “She always travels well, and she usually responds well when I ask her to kick home. That’s what she did today.”

Lopez said the Cherie DeVaux-trained Shotgun Hottie, winner of last year’s Grade 3 Molly Pitcher, was game in defeat.

“I had her comfortable the whole way, I tipped her outside and she made up some ground,” Lopez said. “She ran a good race, my filly. She just wasn't the best filly today.”

Raging Sea graduated on debut in August 2022 at the Spa before crossing the wire third in a pair of Grade 1 starts that year at Keeneland in the Darley Alcibiades [disqualified and placed fourth] and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

She won a pair of starts last year topped by a graded win in the Grade 3 Comely in November at Aqueduct Racetrack as part of a three-race win streak that included a 3 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare this April at Keeneland. Raging Sea entered the Shuvee from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 8 here.

Brown said he may consider a return to Grade 1 company for Raging Sea in the nine-furlong $500,000 Personal Ensign on August 23 at the Spa.

“The way she ran today, it would be a big step up for that but she’s always knocking on the door in those Grade 1s and there might be one with her name on it,” said Brown, who won this event previously with Royal Flag [2019] and Paid Up Subscriber [2017].

Raging Sea banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 10-5-1-1. Sent to post as the 8-5 second choice, she returned $5.30 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with a nine-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap in Race 7. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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