When Alpha Delta Stables’ Jon Clay and trainer Chad Brown made the decision to hold on Coast training for another year they only have one thing in mind: winning 1st place. Daughter of curled up fell short of a top-level win on April 19 but secured an important stepping stone when she won by 3 1/4 lengths in the $300,000 Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
After a runner-up finish in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), the promising Raging Sea broke through to his first points late last year with a hard-fought victory in the Comely Stakes (G3). November 25 at Water racetrack. Freshened over the winter as her connections considered the possibility of retirement, the filly eventually rejoined Brown’s stable at the start of the season with her sights set on Grade 1 glory.
The 1 1/16-mile Doubledogdare attracted a small but talented group of older fillies and mares, including highly rated fillies. Scylla And loved . Although Raging Sea’s morning work didn’t exactly inspire confidence, Brown knew the chestnut was more than ready come race time.
“She can be a bit of a lazy morning workhorse, but she really is an afternoon workhorse,” Brown said. “Today I saddled her, she put her ears up and stood on her tiptoes. She was very confident as she paraded around. She’s an afternoon gamer.”
Brown admits Raging Sea is racing much closer to her original pace than he expected in her 4-year-old debut on Friday, just a hair off the moderate initial pace of : 24.11 and : 48.62. Exiting pit one, jockey Flavien Prat stayed close behind the leaders before going three wide at the final bend.
“On paper, I thought there was a great pace set for her but then it never developed,” Brown said. “Flavien (Prat) used good judgment to put her in a good position. The inside position certainly helped her as well. After the layoff, she was able to hold on position in both turns.”
With the favored Scylla struggling to get through the traffic and the Lover running ahead began to fade as Hidden connection Taking advantage to return home, Raging Sea rushed at his opponent and retreated as easily as possible.
A 5-2 second choice, Raging Sea ($7.58) stopped the timer at 1:44.24 on the fast main.
Hidden connection who pressed Loved for the lead throughout, holding second place, 1/2 length ahead of Scylla in third.
Although the next target for Raging Sea has yet to be chosen, Brown said the filly will likely reappear in Grade 1.
A homebred to Alpha Delta Stables, Raging Sea recorded her fourth win in eight career starts and increased her starting capital to $645,978.
She is one of five winners produced from the unraced mare Stormy Welcome, who comes from the rich family of classic winners AP Indy and Summer Squall.
Videotapes: Baird Doubledogdare S. (G3)
