Raven Run (Grade 2)- $250.000 Purse
KEE- For Fillies Three Years Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
October 17, 2015

Make it three in a row for today’s winner of the Grade 2 Raven Run, Grey Wind!   It’s been a great return on investment for trainer Drabfantasy who purchased the filly from Night Mare Racing back in May.   Prior to that sale, this Pink Panther filly showed some ability, but not so much where you’d expect to call her a two-time graded stake winner just five months after.  Drabfantasy has raced her aggressively, but Grey Wind has been up to the challenge in every way.  Today, she would win her second consecutive graded stake, and third overall race in a row.  Drabfantasy put a lot into this race, fielding three of the four entries and he is able to accomplish his mission of winning his first Raven Run.  Aboard the winner was I Ortiz Jr, who also added his name to the list of winners for this stake for the first time.   Grey Wind was impressive in victory as her race winning time of 1:21.86 set a new stake record.  Here is how it happened!

1st- 2- Grey Wind (5/2)- Our eventual race winner from Drabfantasy was not too bothered with the early pace, but she did well to stay close enough to Rock Dies Happy and perhaps more importantly, stay just to the outside of Angelic Appeal.   Midway through the backstretch, I Ortiz Jr made a concerted effort to bring her closer to the lead, and as they entered the turn she had pulled even and prepared to get by her stablemate, Golden Broomstick for second.  After completing that pass, she moved closer to her other stablemate and went on by Rock Dies Happy at the top of the stretch.  She was full of run in the stretch, and even though Angelic Appeal was looking to make a move late, Grey Wind had way too much left still in the tank to be denied in this one.  She would earn the victory in 1:21.86, and as mentioned, setting a new stake record!  Grey Wind is a three year old filly by Pink Panther and out of Dies Happy (by Die Laffin).  She was bred in New York by Night Mare Racing and sold to Drabfantasy in a private sale on May 21st for $80.000.  Since that sale, she is 8-4-2-2 with Drabfantasy.  Congratulations to all of the connections!

2nd- 1- Angelic Appeal (1/1)- The Mb Stables entry got off to an average start running against the red, white, and blue silks all around her.  Midway in the backstretch, Grey Wind took off and Angelic Appeal wasn’t too interested in following, creating a two length gap between them, something she may have wish she had at the end.  In the turn, she began to rev it up and prepare to move forward, but Grey Wind was doing the same thing as far as zeroing in on Rock Dies Happy.  In the stretch, Angelic Appeal ran quite well and did gain ground on Grey Wind, but the trainer may be asking R Bejarano why he didn’t begin to move her forward earlier then he did.

3rd- 3- Golden Broomstick (5/2)- Our pre-race pick from Drabfantasy also started pretty well, but was willing to let Rock Does Happy have the lead early.  She settled in to be second, about a length and a half back.   Stalked most of the way, but did not put up a fight when Grey Wind went by to her outside.  It was pretty much the same story when Angelic Appeal went by in that she didn’t really contest the pass.   Her run here seemed a little flat, but in a four horse field, it’s still enough for third.

4th- 4- Rock Dies Happy (10/1)- Drabfantasy’s longest shot on the board emerged as the race’s pacesetter, jumping out to the lead early and opened up by over a length into the backstretch.  She set the opening quarter in :23.08.  She kept the pace very consistent over the backstretch, and set the half mile time in :46.22.  Led them into the top of the stretch until Grey Wind went by.  She didn’t completely pack it in, but did eventually find her way to the back by the race’s end.

Track: Fast
Time: :23   :46¹  1:09⁴  1:21⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 1 Paid 3.50

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES