Second to Letruska in the 2020 edition, Royal Flag came flying late to take the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The Chad Brown trainee capitalized on a steady early pace, sprinting by Horologist and Crystal Ball in the race’s final strides to win by three-quarters of a length.
Breaking from the outside post in a field of seven, Joel Rosario settled Royal Flag at the back of the field around the first turn and into the backstretch as Horologist set early fractions of :23.35 for the first quarter and :47.01 for the half-mile. Trained by Bill Mott, Horologist looked like she might take the field wire to wire as she kept the lead around the final turn into the stretch.
Behind her, Royal Flag was twelve lengths back, Rosario steadying his mare after going wide around the final turn. Down the Saratoga straight, Horologist still led by a half-length, with Gold Spirit, Crystal Ball, and Dunbar Road in pursuit, Royal Flag driving down the center of the track. Will Farish’s 5-year-old mare was the fastest of them all in the end, passing Horologist and Crystal Ball to take the G3 Shuvee. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.42.
Royal Flag paid $5.30, $3.10, and $2.40. Horologist paid $5.10 and $3.40. Crystal Ball paid $3.40 to show.
“She was able to get up in time. She was quite far back turning for home. I was very proud of her effort. She showed that she has a lot of heart. She might not have run a lot of times in her career, but every time she shows up.” Trainer Chad Brown said after the race. “I don’t know if she likes time in between races or something always happens that requires us to give her time. This is her last season racing so hopefully we can give her a more consistent campaign now and get a few starts into her before she’s retired.”
“Chad told me that to stay out was probably the best. I was just following his other horse [Dunbar Road]. I just wanted to have a clean run when I started moving.” Joel Rosario told the NYRA Communications Office after the G3 Shuvee. “When she started moving in the last turn and then with the stride that she has; I was not even asking for everything yet, so I felt she was going to run really big.”
Bred and owned by Will Farish, Royal Flag is by Candy Ride out of the Mineshaft mare Sea Gull. In her second start of 2021, the 5-year-old mare gets her first win of the year after finishing second to Bonny South in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on April 16. With her Shuvee win, the daughter of Candy Ride has five wins in ten lifetime starts for career earnings of $375,520.
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