Flagstaff Returns to Winner's Circle After Commonwealth

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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Flagstaff wins the Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland

Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff  collared dueling leaders Special Reserve  and Bango  inside the sixteenth pole and drew off for a 1 1/4-length victory April 3 in the $200,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

Trained by John Sadler and ridden Joel Rosario, Flagstaff covered the seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:21.84. The victory was the third in the race for Rosario, whose previous victories came in 2012 with Lonesome Street  and 2017 with Awesome Slew  .


Special Reserve led a tight pack through fractions of :22.98 and :45.97 as Flagstaff, who broke from the rail and was away last, raced in midpack on the inside. Turning for home, Rosario angled Flagstaff to the outside with Special Reserve, Bango, and Mucho  still to catch, a task he gradually accomplished.

"I was thinking (about) trying to get out at some point. With an inside post position I just had to be there," Rosario said. "He broke really sharp and I was in a good spot, and I was just waiting to be in the clear when I could going forward.

"He was running for me (coming into the stretch)," Rosario added. "Sometimes you know how much (horse) you have when you start moving, but I stopped moving and he kept moving forward so I felt very good about how much horse I had."

The victory increased Flagstaff's earnings to $703,285 with a 6-6-3 record in 18 starts. Sent off as the favorite in the field of seven, the 7-year-old Speightstown   gelding returned $5.80 for a $2 win ticket.

"When you have the 1 post, you either send him or you don't, and it looked like (Joel) was sending him in the beginning and maybe the horse just got outfooted a little bit," said Bill Farish of Lane's End. "But when he swung him outside he really made a great run. It's really fun to have an older gelding like him. He just keeps coming on big days and winning big races, and it's a lot of fun for everybody involved."

Special Reserve held for second a nose ahead of Attachment Rate , who rallied from last to finish third. Completing the order of finish were Bango, Mucho, Hog Creek Hustle , and Hidden Scroll . The latter bled, according to the Equibase chart.  

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, Flagstaff is out of the A.P. Indy mare Indyan Giving , who also produced Game Winner   (Candy Ride  ), the champion 2-year-old colt of 2018.

In 2015 Flagstaff was purchased by Mayberry Farm for $475,000 at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York, from the Lane's End consignment.

Video: Commonwealth S. (G3)