Dynamic Pricing scores in the Perfect Sting (Chelsea Durand)
Christian Abdo/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Klaravich Stables’ Grade 1-winner Dynamic Pricing cut back to one-mile on the inner turf and needed nearly all of it to win Friday’s Listed $150,000 Perfect Sting, for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the 4-year-old Night of Thunder bay captured the one-mile Grade 1 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing in June here ahead of a last-out third in the local nine-furlong Grade 1 Dunkin’ Diana on July 12.
Dynamic Pricing, who improved to 4-3-0-1 on the year, also won the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay in May at Belmont at the Big A and the Grade 2 Edgewood at that distance last May at Churchill Downs.
“It was a really solid race for a Listed [stakes],” said Brown. “I was a little concerned on the final turn when Proctor Street opened up three [lengths] on her – this filly really does take a stride or two to get in gear and I thought maybe the other one had a jump on her. But then by the time they turned for home, she was already on her heels again.”
Piloted by Dylan Davis, who was also aboard for the Just a Game and Diana, Dynamic Pricing exited post 5 alertly, but inward to settle in 7th-of-8, well behind the pace set by longshot New Rome through an opening quarter-mile in 23.42 seconds on the firm turf.
“She’s not really a sharp breaker, just try to break as best as I can within reason,” Davis said. “I found myself in a good spot saving ground. After that, I was just trying to figure out what I needed to do in that second turn to give myself the best chance.”
New Rome was followed in the first turn and down the backside by Raqiya, then Vino Rouge and Zadorsky, with Proctor Street next ahead of Dynamic Pricing to the inside of Les Reys through the half-mile in 47.11.
New Rome led by multiple lengths in the second turn and the Irad Ortiz, Jr.-piloted slight 8-5 favorite Proctor Street made the most noticeable improvement on the outside as Dynamic Pricing was still in behind rivals after three-quarters in 1:11.47.
Once straightened for home, Proctor Street quickly put a head in front of a game Raqiya who had taken the lead under Flavien Prat, while Davis maneuvered his charge between Zadorsky and Vino Rouge, then locating a similar seam by the rail inside of the fading New Rome and Raqiya.
“She shot right through there and after that, it was game time with her. She’s really competitive, she took me all through those one-horse gaps,” Davis said. “It was just enough. She was there for me, and thanks to the team. They had her ready and she’s really competitive down the lane.”
Dynamic Pricing burst through the window at the rail en route to a one-length victory in a final time of 1:35.45. Raqiya fought back to put a nose in front of Proctor Street for place honors.
Vino Rouge completed the superfecta 1 3/4 lengths back, with the early trailer A Lilac Rolla, Les Reys, Zadorsky and New Rome completing the order of finish. Ribaltagaia, Our Pretty Woman and main track-only entrant St. Benedicts Prep were scratched.
“She showed a nice burst there on the turn and Dylan used good judgment to dive inside – a very brave move and turned out to be a winning one,” said Brown.
Brown said Dynamic Pricing could target the Grade 1 First Lady on October 4 at Keeneland, which he has won seven consecutive runnings of among his eight total triumphs.
“We’ll probably go back in Grade 1 competition maybe at Keeneland in the First Lady,” said Brown. “She could be a Matriarch horse [at Del Mar] in the fall – just keep her at that mile, mile and a sixteenth. She’s not a Breeders’ Cup horse, but she’s a Grade 1 horse at those distances.”
Prat said the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Raqiya was game off an eighth in the Beaugay to Dynamic Pricing where she bolted at the three-eighths under Frankie Dettori.
“I had a good trip and she ran a good race,” said Prat. “It looked turning for home like maybe she was going to get third and she regrouped and made a good run. She dug in.”
Bred in Ireland by Epona Bloodstock, Dynamic Pricing was a $204,442 purchase from Book 1 of the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. She banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 11-5-0-4 and returning $5.60 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 13-race program that includes a pair of Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events in the Grade 1 Spinaway [Juvenile Fillies] in Race 11 and Grade 2 Flower Bowl [Filly and Mare Turf] in Race 10, as well as the Grade 3 Prioress in Race 7. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
