Davis guides Our Flash Drive to victory in De La Rose Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In the Saratoga paddock prior to Sunday’s $135,000 De La Rose Stakes, trainer Mark Casse told jockey Dylan Davis to ride Our Flash Drive like she was the best horse in the race.

Davis took those instructions to heart, giving up ground on both turns, but giving Our Flash Drive a clear trip that she parlayed into a one-length victory over Plum Ali in the De La Rose.

It was a half-length back to favored Love And Thunder, who had a traffic-filled trip to finish third.

In Good Spirits, Assertive Style, Jouster, Nazuna, and Stunning Princess completed the order of finish.

The win was the fourth from 11 starts for Our Flash Drive, a 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper owned and bred by Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation. It was her first win in nearly a year, or since she won the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen at Woodbine last Aug. 22.

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Casse felt getting Our Flash Drive out of Woodbine - where the stretch is nearly three furlongs long - to a tighter-turned course like Saratoga would help.

Still, Casse was a little nervous when he saw Davis had Our Flash Drive three-to-four wide on both turns.

“You always want to save ground, but I did tell him I think she’s the best horse in the race, ride her that way and he did,” Davis said. “But I was like ‘Oh boy!’ We all know how tough this turf course is to win on when you don’t save ground.”

Davis had Our Flash Drive in fourth, just outside of Plum Ali, less than two lengths behind pacesetting In Good Spirits, stalked by Jouster.

Davis took advantage of his clear trip to advance toward the leaders turning for home and gradually pulled clear in the stretch. Plum Ali came running for second, while Love And Thunder split horses to get third by a head over In Good Spirits.

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Our Flash Drive covered the mile in 1:35.42 and returned $10 as the third choice.

“He said just ride your race, she’s the best horse, keep it simple,” Davis said. “I broke well and she just kind of came back a little bit, but I gave her a nice clear trip and that’s all we needed. She ran really hard through the wire.”

In 2019, Casse won the De La Rose with Got Stormy and came back a week later to win the Grade 1 Fourstardave.

Would he try that with Our Flash Drive?

“Not happening,” Casse said.