Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Dynaslew sat off of pacesetter Silver Reunion for a mile, pulled even in mid-stretch, and inched clear for a half-length victory in the $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap (gr. IIT) (VIDEO) for fillies and mares Aug. 28 at Saratoga.
It was the second graded win of the year and third in five starts in 2010 for the 4-year-old filly. The daughter of Dynaformer covered 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:40.58 under Eibar Coa to earn the biggest victory of her 13-start career. She is trained by Seth Benzel.
Silver Reunion and Dynaslew were one-two all the way around the course in the field of 10. Rajiv Maragh hustled Silver Reunion to the front and they clicked off fractions of :23.44, :47.54, and 1:11.15 without much pressure. Dynaslew was content to track the leader a couple lengths behind until beginning her attack in upper stretch. Dynaslew quickly caught her rival nearing the sixteenth pole and methodically pulled clear for the win.
Silver Reunion settled for runner-up, one length in front of third-place Miss Keller, who rallied from well back under Javier Castellano. Danzon was fourth
"I was trying to go to the lead first, so when I saw (Silver Reunion) going to the lead I decided to get back, and she relaxed for me pretty good, so that was good," Coa said. "In the stretch, she just kept digging and digging and digging. She never stopped running. She ran her race today."
Dynaslew has been in good form all season, winning the first starts of year—an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in April and the Beaugay Stakes (gr. IIIT) the following month at Belmont Park for her first graded stakes win. After finishing second in the All Along Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Colonial Downs in June, she set the pace only to fall a neck short of Proviso in a four-way photo in the Diana (gr. IT) July 31 at Saratoga.
"Dynaslew is a versatile filly that doesn't need to have the lead," Benzel said. "On paper, (Silver Reunion) wanted the lead. Eibar felt our filly had that option, but she didn't need it to win. It's a perfect union between the two. Dynaslew isn't easy to ride; she's temperamental and you see that in the paddock and post parade.”
Overall, Dynaslew has produced a 5-4-0 record with earnings of $365,852. She was bred in Florida and is out of the Seattle Slew mare Slews Final Answer.
The winner paid $17.60, $8.90, and $6.60. The exacta (7-4) returned $323 with 14-1 Silver Reunion and the trifecta (7-4-1) was $1,732.
The 5-2 favorite, Phola, was never a factor while finishing eighth, one spot back of Maram.
