National Flag surges to Bay Shore triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – National Flag had an ugly start in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct on Saturday but saved the day with a fast finish to pull away and win by four lengths.

At the start of the seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, Justaholic bobbled and came outward and Engage came inward sandwiching National Flag between them. Jockey Flavien Prat, who was riding at Aqueduct for the first time Saturday, stayed cool aboard National Flag and didn’t rush him as he dropped well back in the seven-horse field.

The Bay Shore pace was set by A Different Style, with Aveenu Malcainu and 24-1 Aqua Bel Sar in close attendance. Aveenu Malcainu moved up outside A Different Style nearing the stretch. At that point, National Flag still had a lot of work to do.

Aveenu Malcainu came away with the lead in upper stretch but at that point National Flag was eating up ground with long strides while far out in the track. He collared Aveenu Malcainu nearing the sixteenth pole and quickly pulled away.

Engage, the 6-5 favorite, recovered quicker from the rough start than National Flag, and took up a contending position along the inside. He finished willingly to best Aveenu Malcainu for the place from the inside in deep stretch by three-quarters of a length.

National Flag paid $4.90 in the $250,000 Bay Shore. He was timed in 1:23.16 while making up several lengths through a 12.38-second final furlong.

“We were bumped hard at the start,” Prat said.

National Flag, a $600,000 Keeneland September yearling buy, races for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, and SF Racing. The Bay Shore was the second of three stakes wins at Aqueduct on Saturday for Todd Pletcher. He also won the Grade 1 Wood Memorial and Grade 1 Carter.

“I was concerned early in the race,” Pletcher said. “He’d never really been in that position and you never know how a horse is going to react to getting bumped that hard at the beginning. But it looked like he gathered himself up and Favien rode a smart race. He didn’t panic and gave him time to get his legs up underneath him.

“He produced a big run down the lane.”

National Flag is now 3 for 5. Pletcher said at some point he would stretch National Flag out in distance.

“We had kicked around the idea of possibly going to the Lexington,” Pletcher said. “But we just kind of thought at the last minute that the horse was doing well and was just coming off a big effort at seven furlongs. So, let’s stick with what he knows.”

Pletcher said he would “probably look for a one-turn mile next or something like that.”