Parnac leads the whole way to steal Flower Bowl

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It’s not often a trainer can thank the track president for winning a Grade 2 stakes race.

Such was the case Saturday at Saratoga after Parnac went gate to wire under Dylan Davis to win the $465,000 Flower Bowl by 1 1/4 lengths.

Parnac was entered in a third-level allowance race here on Aug. 11. However, she, and another runner, were ordered scratched by NYRA president Dave O’Rourke, because they were coming out the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial, a race at Delaware Park from which the top two finishers suffered catastrophic injuries and another runner was pulled up with an apparent injury, in subsequent starts at Saratoga.

O’Rourke said that in order for Parnac to race in New York she would have to undergo a PET-scan and the results would have to be reviewed favorably by NYRA and state veterinarians/officials.

Parnac was granted the all-clear to race and the Flower Bowl or a race at Kentucky Downs became the next targets. With only four horses, the Flower Bowl became a logical race.

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Clement instructed Davis to put Parnac forward, but thinking that Tamarama might want the lead. Parnac got it, as she was able to get away with dawdling fractions of 25.19 seconds for the quarter, 51.33 for the half, 1:18.82 for six furlongs, 1:42.95 for the mile. Though McKulick, the 2-5 favorite, tried to make a run at Parnac in the lane, she didn’t really get close, falling short while finishing a neck in front of Amazing Grace, also trained by Clement. Tamarama finished fourth.

“I guess I have to be thankful to David O’Rourke because they scratched Parnac from the three-other-than a few weeks ago,” Clement said. “She trained very well she had a very good work with Amazing Grace, that’s why we decided to run here and it was the right decision.”

Clement said in order to get the PET scan, he had to ship Parnac to Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., costing her three days of training.

“Maybe she wanted to have a few days off,” Clement said. “Dr. Bramlage told me she looks good, go on with her.”

Davis said having the rail draw helped him establish a forward position on Parnac.

“[Tamarama] come up to me, but didn’t want to continue on and I was able to take control from there,” Davis said “After that she got real comfortable with easy fractions.”

Parnac, a 4-year-old French-bred daughter of Zarak owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Dream With Me Stable, covered the 1 3/8 miles over firm ground in 2:18.60 and returned $18.40 to win. She was given a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Everybody is going to say she stole the race, maybe she did steal the race, but she stole it in a nice way,” Clement said. “She won pretty easily at the end.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., the rider of 2-5 favorite McKulick, said his filly was compromised by the slow pace.

“They run away from me the first part of the race,” Ortiz said. “If I try to move it’s going to be a premature move, I really don’t want to do it so I just ride my race.”

Parnac could go on to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. The Flower Bowl was a “Win and You’re In” for that race.

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