Flintshire made it two in a row since transferring to the Chad Brown barn at the start of the season with a game victory in the Bowling Green. Hammered down to 1-9 favoritism in this short field of four, the dark bay simply cantered along in a ground-saving third early as Grand Tito walked through glacial early fractions of :26.53, :53.14 and 1:19.44. Relegated to last as Twilight Eclipse made his move turning for home, the Juddmonte homebred was swung out for a three-wide bid in early stretch and surged past his trio of rivals late for a 3/4-length success. Grand Tito held second over Twilight Eclipse and Can'thelpbelieving (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) completed the quartet.
“He likes to run and cover and Javier has a really good feel for him, so I wasn't too worried,” Brown said. “When Twilight Eclipse finally made the move and they all went, it was a pretty easy decision to steer him outside for home. Javier showed a lot of poise. He didn't panic. The horse ran terrific. He's a true champion. They're a great team.”
Winner of the 2014 G1 Hong Kong Vase for previous trainer Andre Fabre, Flintshire put on a dazzling display when capturing this venue's GI Sword Dancer S. last summer. Second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Oct. 4, he completed the exacta again when attempting a title defense in the Hong Kong Vase Dec. 13 and was subsequently sent to America. Making his debut for the Brown barn in the GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 11, the 6-year-old cruised home a 1 3/4-length victor over MGSW Ironicus (Distorted Humor). He was further flattered when third-place finisher World Approval (Northern Afleet) came back to win Monmouth's GI United Nations S. next time out.
Pedigree Notes…
Out of French MGSW & G1SP Dance Routine (GB) (Sadler's Wells), Flintshire is a full-brother to French MSW & GSP Dance Moves (GB). His second dam, GSW Apogee (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), is responsible for three black-type winners in addition to Dance Routine in Apsis (GB) (Barathea {Ire}), Concentric (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and Space Quest (GB) (Rainbow Quest). This is also the family of French G1SW Spanish Moon (El Prado {Ire}) and GSW & G1SP Daring Miss (GB) (Salder's Wells). Dance Routine has only produced one horse since Flintshire, the now 4-year-old filly Across The Floor (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Saturday, Saratoga Race Course
BOWLING GREEN S.-GII, $237,500, SAR, 7-30, 4yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:18.24, fm.
1–FLINTSHIRE (GB), 124, h, 6, by Dansili (GB)
1st Dam: Dance Routine (GB) (MGSW & G1SP-Fr,
$217,781), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Apogee (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
3rd Dam: Bourbon Girl, by Ile de Bourbon
O/B-Juddmonte Farms, Inc. (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Javier
Castellano. $150,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW-US, G1SW-Fr,
G1SW-HK, MG1SP-Eng & G1SP-UAE, 21-7-10-1, $8,274,910.
*Full to Dance Moves (GB), MSW & GSP-Fr, $240,969. Werk
Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Grand Tito, 122, h, 6, Candy Ride (Arg)–Golden Arches (Fr),
by Common Grounds (GB). ($225,000 Ylg '11 KEESEP).
O-Grupo Seven C Stable; B-Hargus & Sandra Sexton & Ben P.
Walden Jr. (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $50,000.
3–Twilight Eclipse, 122, g, 7, Purim–My Twilight Dancer, by
Twilight Agenda. ($1,000 Ylg '10 KEEJAN). O-West Point
Thoroughbreds; B-Epona Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Thomas
Albertrani. $25,000.
[bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”]Margins: 3/4, 1, HF. Odds: 0.10, 7.30, 10.60.
Also Ran: Can'thelpbelieving (Ire). Scratched: Danish Dynaformer. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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