Survie angled out under Flavien Prat and unleashed a powerful late run to win the Grade 2 Glens Falls turf marathon by 1 3/4 lengths at Saratoga. (NYRA Photo)
Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Michael B. Tabor’s Survie was covered up nicely through the middle stages of Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls under Flavien Prat, and angled out for a strong late surge down the lane to capture the 1 1/2-mile inner turf marathon for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course.
“He gave her a lovely ride,” said trainer George Boughey, who won the Group 1 Sussex with the undefeated Bow Echo on Wednesday at Goodwood. “We were always going to be asked for that turn-of-foot with how slowly they went. There was a moment where I thought we might have been covered up on the fence without being able to get a run, but he found a beautiful path, and he had an equal partner. She showed a proper turn-of-foot today.”
With her successful American debut, Survie adds to a strong ledger this year that includes a January win at Lingfield in England ahead of a deep-closing third against males in the 1 5/16-mile Group 1 Neom Turf Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia. She entered from the 10-furlong Wolferton against males again on June 16 at Royal Ascot, where she showed good courage to rally from off the pace and finish sixth 3 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Map of Stars.
In the Glens Falls, the 5-year-old daughter of Churchill once again employed deep-closing tactics after settling in sixth in the third flight of contenders that were stacked in pairs behind a tepid pace set by Storm Miami, who marked splits of 25.54 seconds, 52.61, 1:18.91 and 1:44.55 over the firm footing with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.
Alluring Angel tracked just off Storm Miami in second and Survie was covered up inside of Venencia and behind Speed Shopper down the backstretch. Alluring Angel was asked for her best through 10 furlongs in 2:08.65 and Storm Miami dug in straightening for home as Prat angled Survie out and between Speed Shopper and Dona Clota to hit the clear and unleash her run.
Storm Miami turned back the challenge from Alluring Angel, but could not withstand the powerful Survie, who went right by inside the final sixteenth to post the 1 3/4-length victory in a final time of 2:31.21 with little threat from the rest of the contenders.
Storm Miami was two lengths the better of Alluring Angel, who held onto third by three-quarter lengths over Massarat. Speed Shopper was fifth and Gezora – reigning winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf – checked in an even sixth, followed by Dona Clota, Venencia, and Favorite Memory, who took up sharply at the start. Bellezza and main track-only entrant Bernietakescharge were scratched.
Prat, who notched back-to-back wins in this event after taking last year’s edition with La Mehana, said Survie’s late foot was exceptionally fast.
“I had a great trip. She broke OK. It sounded like she could be anxious in the gate. She was good, so she jumped well, and I was able to get myself in the race and I saved ground most of the way,” Prat said. “I mean, I tipped her out and I’d be curious to see how fast she went home, but she really sprinted.”
Survie’s efforts in her January win at Lingfield and placing in the Neom Turf Cup came just two weeks apart, and Boughey said Survie is likely to see that same turnaround and target the Grade 1, $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf on August 15 here, where she will have another bout with males.
“She’s run back quickly before. She won for us back in January and ran well two weeks later in Saudi Arabia,” Boughey said. “She shipped over in the two weeks and ran very well out there. Obviously, we’ll see how she comes out of the race, but she was bought to be a Group or a Grade 1 winner and it’s nice to make her a Grade 2 winner [in the U.S.] today.”
The Christophe Clement Turf serves as a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in October at Keeneland, and Boughey said the World Championship weekend is a major goal for the classy mare.
“It was important to get a lead-up run into her before running her in a Grade 1 in the states,” he said. “The Breeders’ Cup is always in the back of our minds, especially being owned by Mr. and Mrs. Tabor, who are big supporters of the Breeders’ Cup. That’s the ultimate goal for her.”
Survie was purchased for $2,636,068 at last year’s Tattersalls December Mare Sale and is out of the dual group-placed Le Havre mare Sotteville, a full-sister to dual group-placed Crisolles. A Group 2-winner and Group 1-placed in Europe, Survie improved her lifetime record to 19-5-3-5 and reached millionaire status with $137,500 banked in victory, boosting her total bankroll to $1,088,065. She returned $6.88 on a $2 win ticket as the 3-1 mutuel favorite.
Velazquez said the Amelia Green-trained Storm Miami performed well as the pacesetter in a race virtually devoid of speed.
“Pretty simple, there was no speed – I thought I’d be on the lead,” Velazquez said. “I held her the best I could first time down the lane. Tell you what, I was very happy, from the quarter-pole to the three-sixteenths, I was saying, ‘man, she has something left.’ She responded nicely, but obviously the winner came by me by the sixteenth-pole and won easily. I’m happy that she [Storm Miami] showed up.”
Junior Alvarado, aboard the well-regarded Gezora for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, could not offer any immediate reason for the mare’s flat effort.
“She did not come with any run at all,” Alvarado said. “She sat back and I was hoping she would make a move. We were right behind the winner the whole way around, but she had no kick.”
Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial steeplechase in Race 1 and the state-bred $200,000 Johnstone in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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