Flamboyant wins S.F. Mile, ending string of 14 losses
Flamboyant took advantage of a perfect trip under jockey Julien Couton to break a 14race losing streak and become a millionaire by winning the Grade 3, $201,575 San Francisco Mile on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
It was the 7-year-old gelding’s first victory since he took the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes on Feb. 6, 2016, at his Santa Anita base.
“This old boy has been really good, and he’s run some good races even when he’s lost,” trainer Patrick Gallagher said. “He’s earned a lot of money the hard way, and we’re very fond of him.”
The $120,000 Flamboyant earned Saturday for his sixth win in 34 starts increased his total to $1,081,916.
Flamboyant came within a head of breaking his losing streak in the All American Stakes on May 29 in his previous visit to Golden Gate Fields. His breakthrough Saturday continued Gallagher’s Bay Area success as it was his fifth stakes win locally in the past 15½ months.
Dismissed at 11-1 in the odds following an uncharacteristically dull performance in this year’s San Marcos Stakes, Flamboyant skimmed the rail on the second turn and down the stretch to edge Editore by a neck.
“We couldn’t find anything wrong with him after that last race, and he came back and worked really well,” Gallagher said. “He got a terrific ride today.”
Couton called it a dream trip, even though his horse ran in 10th place for the first halfmile.
“I was in a good spot all the way,” he said. “It really opened up at the quarter pole, so I took my shot and he went right through as soon as he saw it and it was party over.”
Many Roses set a pressured pace in the 1-mile grass race and held on for third — just as he did in last year’s San Francisco Mile.
Full of Luck, the Chilean star making his U.S. debut, made up some ground on the backstretch but couldn’t sustain his momentum and finished nextto-last in the field of 12.
Dubai World Cup: Hometown horse Thunder Snow ($22.40) led from the start and won the $10 million Dubai World Cup by 5¾ lengths over favored American West Coast at Meydan Racecourse.
But his performance was overshadowed by Mendelssohn’s 18½-length romp as the 9-5 favorite in the $2 million UAE Derby. It was the first dirt race for the European colt who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and it earned him a berth in the Kentucky Derby on May 5.
Defending champion Mind Your Biscuits ($10) rallied from last place to win the $2 million Golden Shaheen as American sprinters swept the first three places. X Y Jet finished a head behind Mind Your Biscuits in second and three-quarters of a length ahead of favored Roy H. Briefly: McKinzie, one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, will miss next Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby with a hind leg injury . ... Audible ($5.20) made a strong move from eighth place and won the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby by 3 lengths at Gulfstream Park to solidify his status as a Kentucky Derby favorite.