A textbook stalking trip proved an equalizer in the $100,000 Royal New Kent Stakes at Colonial Downs on Saturday, as Tour Player circled Dragoon Guard and upset the heavy favorite in a 1 1/4-length victory. Flavien Prat, in his third victory on the Colonial card, was content to sit off the early pace as Komorebino Omoide and Dragoon Guard set blazing fractions out in front. “Worked out perfect,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “He broke in stride with those two, but Flavien being who Flavien is, just decided it was probably better to let them do their thing and catch a little breather.” Intent on the lead in the four-horse field, neither front-runner yielded through an opening quarter-mile in 22.32 seconds. They remained at one another’s throats through a half-mile in 43.97. Raise Cain was well back on the backstretch, leaving Tour Player as the only runner with a chance to capitalize on the duel out in front. Prat tipped the 5-year-old out on the far turn to challenge the top two and met little resistance, breezing past at the top of the stretch. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “He put himself in a great spot, and I felt confident going into the turn,” Prat said. “He was driving well.” Even under the circumstances, Dragoon Guard still ran like a 3-5 shot for Brad Cox, as jockey John Velazquez managed to squeeze a second rally out of the horse near the wire. He returned fire too late, however, as Tour Player was cruising out in front and easily held. He completed the one-turn mile in 1:33.57 and paid $9.20 to win. Raise Cain, well back throughout the race, still managed to take third for trainer Brittany Russell, picking off a completely spent Komorebino Omoide, who was forced into a brutal duel on a two-week turnaround for Rob Atras. In Tour Player’s first start for Beckman, a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper at Gulfstream, the trainer said the horse didn’t ship well and was clearly unsettled in the paddock. It was a different story at Colonial, as Beckman and his new acquisition seemed to learn from one another on the second attempt. “We know he's a talented horse,” Beckman said. “His paddock behavior last time was something I did not account for. That was Pegasus Day. It was a tough day for him all in all, but getting him back up here, getting to school, bringing him here a little earlier, just some minor adjustments, and he really should be a professional in the paddock and out on the track.” The Royal New Kent was Beckman’s first stakes at Colonial, and with the right horse, right jockey, and an even better trip, he took full advantage of the chance. Sandy Bottom Stakes Chasten got the very best of Her Laugh and Passage East in the first division of the $100,000 Sandy Bottom Stakes at Colonial Downs on Friday, outkicking both favored fillies to win a half-length thriller. In her first stakes attempt in more than a year, the Brad Cox-trained filly showed profound courage while running between two proven contenders. Jockey Cristian Torres, stepping in for an injured Irad Ortiz Jr., notched his first career victory at Colonial. “I'm very grateful with Brad for letting me ride her,” Torres said. “She's a nice filly. She showed her talent, and she definitely improved today, so they're very happy with her. They were expecting big things out of her, so hopefully she wins more races.” Stalking in fourth in the early going, Chasten seemed to have the easiest trip behind front-runner Brown Sugar, who completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.29 seconds before quickening through a half-mile in 45.53. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained filly didn’t last much longer and faded to last. Her Laugh, the 6-5 favorite coming out of two graded stakes for Riley Mott, closed behind the leader in the early going and took the first crack at her on the far turn. Chasten advanced into second to challenge, while Passage East, the 8-5 second choice trained by Hugh McMahon, mounted a fierce bid from last in the field of five. All three runners seemed to have their chance in the stretch, as Her Laugh saved the most ground on the rail while Passage East kept coming with all the momentum down the center. In the end, however, Chasten was dauntless between the two short prices, responding each time Torres asked for more. She edged away near the wire, completing the mile in 1:33.40 and paying $9 to win. “She was responding to everything that I asked her to do, and when she fell the horse on the outside coming towards her, she kind of kicked again,” Torres said. “That’s when she got clear and she held on.” An allowance winner at Fair Grounds on Jan. 10, Chasten finally began showing Cox hints that she might be ready to step back up to stakes company, a move the trainer first considered in her second career start last year. She wasn’t ready then, but in her sixth start Saturday, she could not have passed a much tougher test at Colonial. Her Laugh, slightly compromised after chasing hot early fractions, managed to hold second by three-quarters of a length over Passage East, who was stretching out in distance and needed more in the final furlong. It was her second defeat in her last 10 starts. Chasten might have been Irad Ortiz Jr.‘s third winner at Colonial, as the injured rider was forced to relinquish two winning mounts earlier in the day. The jockey was taken to the hospital after a spill at Gulfstream Park on Thursday. **** The second division of the $100,000 Sandy Bottom didn’t prove nearly as competitive, as 4-5 favorite Eunomia easily put away six rivals to win her first stakes for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., giving jockey Flavien Prat his fourth victory at Colonial on Saturday. “You’re always hopeful, but it felt like we had some live mounts,” Prat said. “It’s turned out well so far.” Queen Azteca did her best to make it a race against Eunomia, responding well to trainer Rodolphe Brisset’s decision to add blinkers. The 4-year-old filly delivered a strong front-running effort, breaking sharply from the rail to pip Eunomia through an opening quarter-mile in 23.66. The top two carried on in tight formation, completing the half-mile in 46.21 and vying for command around the far turn. But as they turned for home, Eunomia quickly asserted herself and surged ahead. Prat continued applying pressure through the stretch and she easily cleared to win by 2 3/4 lengths, completing the one-turn mile in 1:34.21. “Saffie’s assistant told me to try and get her to relax and she responded very well,” Prat said. “She put herself in a good position and switched off nicely and made a good run when I asked her to do it.” Eunomia, far from a surprise coming off a third in the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream last month, paid $3.60 to win. Now a stakes winner, the 4-year-old filly has won 2 of 3 starts since entering Joseph’s barn late last year. Queen Azteca was fatigued at the wire but still held second by three-quarters of a length over Think Fast, who lacked running room on the rail but ran on admirably in her second stakes start for Hugh McMahon. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.