Guided by jockey Julien Leparoux through a ground-saving trip, Flameaway battled back when challenged in the deep stretch to win the $100,000 Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 6.
In the about 7 1/2-furlong turf test, Flameaway maintained a position along the rail as Mojovation pressed him from the outside and Power of Attorney stalked in third. Flameaway took the seven-horse field through fractions of :23.78 and 48.02 for a half-mile.
In the turn for home, Flameaway and Mojovation were joined by favored Fast Boat and Power of Attorney fanning out wide across the track. Flameaway held a head advantage in the stretch as Pony Up, who raced in seventh, moved around the field and surged forward. With a final effort, Flameaway got a neck over a fast closing Pony Up to hold on for the win. Renaissance Frolic closed from sixth to finish third, another neck back. The final time was 1:29.78 over the firm turf.
"He's a cool horse. He's a got a wealth of talent. I don't know if he's figured it all out yet," said Norman Casse, assistant to his father, trainer Mark Casse. "I think he got a little lost at the top of the stretch. It looked like those horses were going to run by him, but as soon as they put their heads in front he picked up the bridle again and ran on. Julien deserved the credit for a great ride. We're looking forward to the future with him."
Fast Boat, Mojovation, Speed Franco, and Power of Attorney completed the order of finish, with less than two lengths separating the entire field.
"I wanted to put him in the race and he put me in front pretty easily. Coming into the stretch I started to ask him, and he's the kind of horse who waits on the others to join him," Leparoux said of John Oxley's winning son of Scat Daddy. "They actually passed me a bit and when he saw them, he began to really kick it in again. When he has competition he's a game horse, and it was a great win.
"We won on the dirt in Keeneland where he ran similar, fighting back to win," he added. "It was a big battle to the wire and he fought hard to win. He's a horse that if they come up next to him he's going to try, for sure."
Flameaway entered the Kitten's Joy after fading to finish eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Del Mar, about three lengths behind winner Mendelssohn. Before that run, he picked up his first graded win by a nose in an off-the-turf edition of the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3) at Keeneland in October.
Bred by Phoenix Rising Farms in Ontario, out of the winning Fusaichi Pegasus mare Vulcan Rose, Flameaway was sold at auction twice. First purchased for $150,000 by Bloodstock Investments as a short yearling at the 2016 Keeneland January sale, he was pinhooked to the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale where he brought $400,000 from Oxley. He now has four wins from six starts with earnings of $314,834.
Video: Kitten's Joy S. (BT)
In the $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies going about 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf, Thewayiam moved around rivals in the stretch to secure her first stakes victory.
With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, the daughter of Thewayyouare saved ground in seventh as Designing set fractions of :23.72 and :48.53 for a half-mile. Moving up in the stretch, Ortiz guided Thewayiam between rivals and the filly pulled away to win by one length. The time was 1:30.19.
Closer Still finished second with Andina Del Sur in third. Designing and favored Delamar rounded out the top five.
"I dropped into the rail and tried to get her to relax and she did very well," Ortiz said. "When I asked her to go, she picked it up and is all heart. She split horses like it was nothing and gave me a great kick in the end."
Thewayiam raced three times in her native France before coming to the U.S. for trainer Graham Motion and owners Great Point Stables, Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.
Bred by SCA La Perrigne in France, she was purchased for $18,658 by Yan Durepaire at the 2016 Arqana Deauville October yearling sale. She has three wins and one third from six starts with earnings of $111,877.
Video: Ginger Brew S. (BT)
Derek Chin's Piven pulled away to win the $75,000 Limehouse Stakes by four lengths. The Kevin Attard-trained colt and Jose Ortiz completed the six furlongs on the main track in 1:11.47. The 3-year-old became the first black-type stakes winner for his sire Prospective , who is slated to stand the 2018 season at Ocala Stud for an advertised fee of $3,000.
Piven was bred in Florida by Wendy Christ and Carol Hershe.
Video: Limehouse S. (BT)
In the six-furlong $75,000 Glitter Woman Stakes, Cicatrix and Leparoux edged Morning Destiny by a neck in a final drive to the wire. The Ian Wilkes-trained 3-year-old daughter of Violence completed the distance in 1:12.20. Bred by CESA Farm and campaigned by Bill Witman, Cicatrix remains undefeated in two starts.
"She's always shown she has some talent, this filly," Wilkes said. "I want to stretch her out. I do believe she'll go longer. I think she'll be better going longer."
