The fast-closing Flashing collared pacesetter Heart Ashley with a sixteenth of a mile to run and went on to a 1 1/2-length win in the $300,000 Test Stakes (gr. IT) (VIDEO) at Saratoga Aug. 8.
The Test, for 3-year-old fillies, is contested at seven furlongs. Ridden by Richard Migliore, the winning daughter of A.P. Indy rebounded well from her 31 1/2-length pasting by Rachel Alexandra in the 1 1/8-mile Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park in her last start.
Saeed bin Suroor trains Flashing for Godolphin Stable.
The chestnut filly settled behind the pace for Migliore while racing off the rail before moving into contention on the turn. She closed ground quickly on the leader in the stretch and kicked clear late under steady encouragement. This was her fifth win in seven starts.
“That’s a different class to run with Rachel (Alexandra)," Suroor said. "She’s the best filly in the world. This filly is tough. The last race was hard for her. Seven furlongs suits her a lot. I knew how (Heart Ashley) likes to go fast. (I told Migliore to) sit in fourth, but she’s not happy too far back.”
“Things just fell right," Migliore said. "She didn’t pull excessively hard; she tried me once down the back(stretch) and I was firm with her and then she let go of the bridle again and traveled beautifully until I called on her."
“She’s a filly that tends not to run the turns as well as the straights, so when I was able to maintain my position (around the turn) without really getting after her to do it, I said ‘well I know I can make up these four lengths when we turn in.’ When she switched her right lead, she went and got them.”
Pretty Prolific closed belatedly to edge 11-10 favorite Cat Moves for second. First Passage, who blew the break, finished up well to finish a close fourth. The winning time was 1:22.40.
Heart Ashley went directly to the front for Edgar Prado, opening up a two-length lead while clicking off splits of :22.63 and :45.31. Heart Ashley edged away to a 2 1/2-length advantage in mid-stretch but tired in the final furlong and faded to fifth as Pretty Prolific, ridden by Robby Albarado, rallied from mid-pack to claim second by a neck over Cat Moves.
The favorite, with John Velazquez aboard, threatened the pacesetter on the turn but could not sustain her charge and finished evenly for third by a nose over First Passage and Alan Garcia. First Passage turned her head just before the gates opened and bobbled getting away, spotting the field about seven lengths.
All of Her Twist, Reforestation, and Olde Glamour trailed.
Flashing, whose third-place finish in the Mother Goose snapped a three-race winning streak, won Belmont's Nassau County (gr. III) in the mud May 2. The winning purse of $180,000 from herTest win increased her career bankroll to $412,560.
Gainsborough Farm bred Flashing in Kentucky. She is out of Morning Pride, by Machiavellian.
Sent off as the third choice, Flashing carried 118 pounds and paid $11.20, $5.50, and $3.50 while keying a $2 exacta worth $156.50. Pretty Prolific, who returned $10 and $5, has now posted consecutive runner-up finishes in stakes for trainer James Baker. Cat Moves, impressive winner of the Prioress (gr. I) in her last start, was $2.50 to show.
“We got beat today," said trainer Anthony Dutrow of the favorite. "I thought she was in trouble going around the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Johnny needed more horse. She was struggling a little bit. I don't see any excuses. Her class got her through the stretch. It was good to see that. There will be another day for her.”