Flavius makes it look easy in Lure Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Somewhat lost through the cracks this week in the excitement surrounding trainer Steve Asmussen's pursuit of the North American wins record was Chad Brown's accomplishment of his own career milestone: Brown posted his 2,000th career victory on Friday evening here at his hometown track, some 20 minutes from his birthplace of Mechanicville.

On Saturday, Brown began his march toward his next thousand victories, but Flavius made him work for No. 2,001. Brown said the Juddmonte homebred's personality is far more tempestuous than he displayed in his uneventful, front-running victory in the $120,000 Lure Stakes, for older turf horses who have not yet won a graded stakes in 2021.

"He’s a tough, tough boy. He’s got a full screen," Brown said, referring to a stall front designed to keep a horse from biting passersby. "But he’s all business on the track."

While Flavius ($4.70) had an uneventful afternoon, the same could not be said of Brown's other entrants. Barnmate Value Proposition was the favorite as the field warmed up for the Lure. However, as he stepped onto the turf course, he stepped sideways and pulled off a front shoe. After a quick consultation with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Brown was comfortable allowing the ridgling to run.

"I’ve had plenty of winners step out of this winner’s circle with three shoes on," Brown said. "Irad was happy to ride him, and he rode him well, and he ran well."

Value Proposition ran for purse money only, meaning wagers on the Lure involving him were refunded, and multi-race wagers using him transferred to the post-time favorite, which turned out to be Flavius. Meanwhile, the third Brown runner, Delaware, had already been loaded into the starting gate when the situation with Value Proposition arose. He was backed out and re-loaded with the rest of the field.

When the gates did open on the Lure field after the brief delay, Flavius, under jockey Flavien Prat, quickly assumed command and led Tell Your Daddy by a length through a comfortable opening quarter-mile in 24.52 seconds, and the half in 48.99 seconds. Tell Your Daddy inched up on him exiting the backstretch, but when Prat shook up his mount, he had more than enough in reserve to kick clear, continuing on through the lane to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

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The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on turf rated firm was 1:41.53.

Tell Your Daddy easily held second after racing in that position all the way around, finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of Value Proposition. They were followed, in order, by Dreams of Tomorrow, Delaware, South Bend, Fighting Seabee, and Temple.

This was the second stakes win in the U.S. for Flavius, a son of War Front who was a minor stakes winner in Ireland in 2018 before making his first start for Brown's barn in late 2019. The ridgling scored his first stateside victory in the Tourist Mile last September at Kentucky Downs.