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 went 3 1/4 lengths in the $300,000 Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) – placed 2nd, promising Raging Sea broke away from his first graded late last year with a hard-fought win in the day’s 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 little lazy in the morning but she’s really 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 much closer to her original pace than he expected in her 4-year-old debut, racing just a few lengths off her 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 front-running Lover beginning to fade, Raging Sea charged at his rival and proceeded to retreat in the easiest manner.
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, ran well to take 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)
