After a lengthy delay following the gate scratch of Bernieandtherose (Accelerate), 2-5 choice Directive (Gun Runner) took it all in stride, going on to earn her second consecutive victory at Saratoga on Thursday.
A debut second sprinting at the Big A on Apr. 3, the Juddmonte homebred relished the wet going while extending to a mile at that venue on Apr. 30.
Joined by a red-hot Flavien Prat, who already won the first two races on Thursday's card, the Chad Brown trainee allowed U Lite Up My Life (City of Light) to take control through an :23.22 opening quarter mile. Sitting off the 11-1 shot's outside flank through a half in :46.96, Directive started to apply the pressure at the quarter pole. Taking a narrow advantage in early stretch, the favorite started to drift out as the early pacesetter started to weaken along the inside. However, despite her antics, she had enough left in reserve to hold off the oncoming Measure (Essential Quality) by a length at the wire. The victory was the third on the afternoon for Prat.
Following the race, NYRA's Director of Communications Keith McCalmont posted on X that Bernieandtherose was walked off the track and rider Katie Davis was transported to Albany Med for further evaluation. She was taken off her mounts for the remainder of the afternoon.
Directive is out of Juddmonte's Antonoe, who under the guidance of Brown, won the GI Just a Game Stakes in the U.S. after scoring for Pascal Bary at the Group 3 level in France. Also proving herself productive in the breeding shed, Antonoe is already responsible for a pair of top-tier winners in the U.S.–dual Grade I winner and $1.4- million earner Segesta (Ghostzapper), in addition to GI Hollywood Derby scorer Salamis (Speighthstown).
The daughter of First Defence produced a filly by Speightstown in 2024 and most recently foaled a colt by Justify in 2026.
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4th-Saratoga, $120,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($55,000), 6-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.32, ft, 1 length.
DIRECTIVE (f, 3, Gun Runner–Antonoe {GISW-USA, GSW-Fr, $565,377}, by First Defence) Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $128,750. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. *1/2 to Salamis (Speightstown), GISW, $353,363; Segesta (Ghostzapper), MGISW, $1,446,781.
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