SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Rusty Arnold watched Saturday’s $175,000 Lake George Stakes from the racing office at Ellis Park. He admitted afterward that when the field got to the sixteenth pole, with the 7-5 favorite Classy Q having opened a seemingly insurmountable lead, that he was just hoping his filly, Daisy Flyer, could get up for second.
But Daisy Flyer, who came into the Grade 3 Lake George with just one start on her resume’ since finishing ninth in the Ms Grillo at Aqueduct nearly eight months ago, had other ideas. Daisy Flyer finished full of run down the center of the course to overtake the tiring leader in the shadow of the wire and registered a neck victory. Reining Flowers also finished strongly, checking in just another nose farther back in third.
“We knew she’d be in the back because of her running style, I was just hoping there would be enough speed in there,” Arnold said. “Mark’s (Casse) filly (Classic Q) ran really fast on the lead and won last time and we knew she’d be hard to catch again. At the sixteenth pole I was hoping to be second, then she (Daisy Flyer) made that last spurt and got there. It was a great ride by Jose (Lezcano).”
Daisy Flyer’s only start since the Ms Grillo came on March 1 at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride when she rallied from last to finish third, beaten just a nose and a head, at odds of 87-1. Shortly after which she suffered a setback that kept her sidelined until Saturday.
As expected, Classic Q, who registered a gate-to-wire, half-length victory in the one-mile Wild Applause here just 23 days earlier, quickly sprinted to the lead while again setting lively fractions, 23.13 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.55 for the half over the firm course. Daisy Flyer rated back about 10 lengths off the early leader near the rear of the seven-horse field for the opening five furlongs.
Daisy Flyer began to advance nearing the midway point on the second turn, saved ground into the stretch, eased out for clearance approaching midstretch, then accelerated suddenly to be along in the final strides. Classic Q appeared to be comfortably in front after disposing of her nearest pursuer, Lavender Disaster, on settling into the stretch, but could not last while appearing to swap leads a couple of times through the final sixteenth.
Lavender Disaster, runner-up in the Wild Applause, finished fourth, followed by Aterradora, Good Long Cry and Pookie. Aterradora was vanned off after the race.
Daisy Flyer, a Calumet Farm homebred by Mshawish, completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.19 and paid $16.40 for just her second victory in five lifetime starts.
“We liked this filly since Day one,” Arnold said. “We got her back in the stakes in Florida to start the year and I thought she got a little unlucky not to win that day after getting caught up in traffic. Then she came up with an issue two weeks after the race and we had to stop on her again. She did everything right once we got her going again and had three very good works at Saratoga. We had to run her in a stakes because of what we’re trying to do with her, which is to get her in the Dueling Ground Oaks. She’s sure to get an invitation now after winning this race.”
The $2 million Dueling Ground Oaks will be decided at 1 5/16 miles at Kentucky Downs on September 10.
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