Photo: NYRA - Adam Coglianese
Flawless lived up to the lofty expectations implied by her
name, drawing off to 13 ¼-length debut triumph at Belmont Park to become the 12th
horse featured in the New York Watch series, which shines the spotlight on
promising colts and fillies that have recently cleared the maiden and allowance
ranks at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, or Saratoga Race Course. The New
York Watch page for Flawless is located at http://www.nyra.com/nywatch/Flawless.html
The Peter Blum homebred was no secret in today’s second
race, going off as the 11-10 favorite. With Kent Desormeaux in the irons, she
broke on top and led through a half of 46.57. Two opponents lined up to her
outside nearing the quarter pole, but the crowd’s selection turned away those
challengers and needed only mild urging in the stretch to spurt clear to a
dominant victory over runner-up Click Your Heels, a full-sister to the 2004 Grade
1 Wood Memorial winner Tapit.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott believes the best is yet to
come from Flawless, who covered seven furlongs in 1:23.71 over a main track
that had been playing on the slow side.
“She wasn’t cranked. She was only half ready,” Mott said
with a grin. “She’s worked very well and has a lot of ability.”
Mott said Flawless will go through her allowance conditions
before she competes in a stakes race.
“With as well as she ran on the dirt today, we’ll leave her
there for now,” added Mott. “It looked like another furlong wouldn’t hurt her.”
Flawless is by Mr. Greeley and is the first foal out of the
unraced mare Oyster Baby. Her second dam, Really Fancy, produced Dixie Holiday,
who in turn produced black-type winner Holiday Runner. Seventh Street,
winner of last year’s Grade 1 Apple Blossom and Grade 1 Go for Wand Handicap,
is a daughter of Holiday Runner.
Another impressive maiden winner on the card was Safety
Check, who won the fourth race by seven lengths in his second start. Safety
Check, a son of the 1989 Champion Sprinter and 1990 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner
Safely Kept, negotiated seven furlongs in 1:22.99. Trained by Alan Goldberg for
breeder Richard Santulli, who joined forces to campaign Safely Kept, the Empire
Maker colt had finished third at Philadelphia
Park
on May 10 in his debut.
Many of the industry’s brightest stars embarked upon their
careers at the NYRA tracks, including a number of recent Triple Crown race
winners. Big Brown, Jazil, Birdstone, Funny Cide, and Empire Maker are all
among the Derby,
Preakness, and Belmont Stakes victors that kick-started their careers at
Aqueduct, Belmont
Park,
or Saratoga.
The list also includes a brilliant triumvirate of fillies
that broke their maidens at Aqueduct. Flashing, Little Belle, and Music Note
all registered their first victories at the Big A before going on to win major
Grade 1 races within the last two years.