WESTCHESTER S. (gr. III ), Belmont Park , April 27, 2013 , $150,000 Added , value of race $150,000 , 3 yo's & up , 1 mile , 1:32.99 Dirt FT .

Dual grade I winner Flat Out earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 115 for his thrilling head victory over Cross Traffic in the April 27 Westchester Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park.

Seven-year-old Flat Out, who improved his Belmont Park record to four-for-four with the win, completed the one-mile race in 1:32.99 under jockey Junior Alvarado. The two-time Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) winner’s best previous Beyer was a 113 in the 2011 Suburban Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont.

The son of Flatter, who overcame several quarter-cracks and setbacks early in his career, is trained by Bill Mott for Jack Preston’s Preston Stables. He now holds a lifetime record of 7-4-3 from 23 starts, for earnings of more than $2.66 million.

Preston, a partner in the Texas-based Preston Oil Company, formerly ran the Versailles, Ky.-based Prestonwood Farm with his brothers Art and J.R. and also raced two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner Da Hoss. The Prestonwood acreage was sold in 2000 to Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt, who developed it into the major breeding and racing operation WinStar Farm.

Flat Out, who brought $11,000 as a weanling, was acquired for $85,000 by Jack Preston’s Oxbow Racing at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale from Bluewater Sales, agent.

The bay horse was bred in Florida by German native Nikolaus Bock, who bought Flat Out’s stakes-winning dam Cresta Lil (by Cresta Rider) while she was carrying the Westchester winner for $5,000 at the 2005 Keeneland November mixed sale from Claiborne Farm, agent. The next year the mare was resold to A. Renee McCollum for $3,500 at the 2006 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s October mixed sale. In foal to Anasheed, she was consigned by Thoroughstock, agent.

Cresta Lil hails from the female family of grade I winners Got Koko (by Signal Tap) and Tarlow (by Stormin Fever). Among her 10 winning foals are Crestview (by Mountain Cat) and Personal Emblem (by Our Emblem), who both brought six figures at auction, plus multiple stakes winner and $320,000-plus earner Our Best Man (by Runaway Groom). The mare’s last reported offspring is a 5-year-old Wildcat Heir mare named Prairie Wildcat, who was bred in Florida by Judy and Michael Crowe.

Flatter is the sire of 26 stakes winners, including other 2013 added-money victors Brigand, Flatter This, and Lucy’s Bob Boy. Flatter, a son of A.P. Indy, stands for $20,000 at the Hancock family’s Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky.—E.M.