Avie’s Flatter dominates Cup and Saucer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — The favored Avie’s Flatter relished the yielding turf in Sunday’s $255,400 Cup and Saucer Stakes, leading virtually all the way in the 1 1/16-mile race for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

With Eurico Da Silva aboard, Avie’s Flatter was pressed by a host of runners on the backstretch, including a sharp Bold Script, through a moderate pace. He took control on the turn, and then drew away in the stretch to prevail by 5 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:45.20.

Bold Script held the others at bay, finishing second by three-quarters of a length over Moon Swings. Second choice Kitten’s Girl, who was favored during most of the betting, checked in fourth in the nine-horse field.

Avie’s Flatter ($5.60) earned $135,000 for owner Ivan Dalos and trainer Josie Carroll. The son of Flatter was coming off a fourth-place finish second-time out in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes.

“I was very surprised to see him go to the lead,” Carroll said. “But then he got up there and was so relaxed. His ears were pricked, and obviously, Eurico knew what he had under him. He had a tough trip in the race before, and I think he got a lot of conditioning out of that, which made me a little more confident.”