Miss Sunset edges Chalon in Raven Run Stakes

A pair of California girls did battle in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland, with Miss Sunset scoring a half-length victory over a game Chalon.

Miss Sunset ($8.80) had been trouncing her fellow California-breds as of late, coming in off a 5 1/2-length victory in the Fleet Treat Stakes and a 1 3/4-length score in the C.E.R.F. Stakes, both at Del Mar. Owners Alan Klein and Phil Lebhen opted to scratch her out of last week's California Distaff and ship her in for this spot.

“My owners [still] own the mare, so they thought it was in their interests to try to get this horse graded placed,” trainer Jeff Bonde said.

Chalon, stakes-placed in California for trainer Peter Miler and Rockingham Ranch, was making her second start at this Keeneland meet, wheeling back after finishing a creditable second to Finley'sluckycharm in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Oct. 7. On Saturday, Chalon and Paco Lopez led by a half length through opening splits of 22.64 seconds for the quarter and 45.61 seconds for the half, with Miss Sunset and Julien Leparoux intently stalking in second. The eventual winner turned up the heat once straightened away into the lane, but Chalon did not wilt. It was only in the final stages that Miss Sunset edged past, with Chalon grudgingly giving way.

“Every time this filly runs, she’s one of the most honest horses I've had in a long time,” Bonde said.

Miss Sunset, by Into Mischief, stopped the clock in 1:22.21 for the seven furlongs on a track rated fast, before a sun-splashed crowd of 27,291 on the penultimate Saturday of the Keeneland meet.

After the top two, it was a length back to Torrent, the longest shot on the board at 59-1, who nosed out Tequilita to round out the trifecta.