SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown’s theory that a speed-favoring track may have compromised Raging Sea’s chances in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps here six weeks ago was validated on Sunday when his late-running filly rallied up the rail to a convincing 2 1/2-length victory over 7-5 favorite Shotgun Hattie at Saratoga in the $200,000, Grade 2 Shuvee.
Raging Sea finished an even-running fourth, 4 3/4 lengths behind her pacesetting stablemate Randomized and the reigning Distaff champion Idiomatic in the Phipps on June 8. That outing was just the second on the season for Raging Sea, who launched her 2024 campaign with an easy, 3 1/4-length triumph in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland on April 19.
With regular rider Flavien Prat aboard, Raging Sea broke alertly, showed in front briefly before being rated off the early pace of Misty Veil while allowed to save ground from the outset. Raging Sea moved to closer contention when roused approaching the quarter pole, found ample room on the rail to readily overtake the tiring leader inside the three-sixteenths pole, quickly drew clear and was never menaced thereafter.
Shotgun Hottie, a narrowly beaten second in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis last month at Churchill Downs, raced just outside Raging Sea down the backstretch, lost ground and dropped back while swinging wide into the stretch before rallying belatedly to prove second-best while no match for the winner. Misty Veil finished a tiring third, followed by Just Katherine and Venti Valentine, who lost her best chance after stumbling very badly at the break.
Raging Sea is a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Curlin owned by Alpha Delta Stables. She covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.95 seconds over a fast track and returned $5.30.
“The track’s a lot different now, which I’m happy to see,” Brown said. “Management has worked really hard on the track to even it out a bit, it’s not so fast and you see horses winning from everywhere on the dirt. That’s the best track to have if you can maintain it, and she appreciated this version of the track versus the one a few weeks ago.”
Brown was also quick to praise Prat for another picture-perfect ride.
“Another brilliant ride by Flavien,” Brown said. “The decision to take the initiative and get ahead of the one (Shotgun Hottie) going to the first turn was key. It took the other horse out of her preferred running style and in the context of almost a match race between the two on class, being positioned ahead of that horse was really a big advantage moving forward.”
Brown said stepping Raging Sea back into Grade 1 competition in the $500,000 Personal Ensign on August 23 was a distinct possibility off her Sunday performance.
“The way she ran today, that could be her next start,” Brown said. “It would be a big step up, but she’s always knocking on the door in those Grade 1s and there might be one with her name on it.”
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