Flashiest Takes First Stakes of the Del Mar Meet
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Flashiest wins the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Nicolas Drion, and Mathilde Powell's Flashiest was victorious in the first stakes of the Del Mar summer meet July 16, the $100,000 Runhappy Oceanside Stakes.
Trained by Leonard Powell, the Mizzen Mast gelding broke his maiden at Turf Paradise in April before tackling the competition in southern California. Flashiest claimed his second career tally in a May 15 Santa Anita allowance optional claiming contest, rallying from the back of the back to earn a decisive score. In his prior start before the Oceanside, Flashiest settled for second behind stakes winner Hudson Ridge in a June 18 allowance optional claimer in his first start at the 1 1/8-mile distance.
Dismissed at 12-1 odds in the Oceanside, Flashiest bid his time in the rear of the field under jockey Abel Cedillo. Second choice Dream Shake pressed the leader early through steady splits of :23.03 and :46.95. Flashiest had three horses beat as the front-runners clocked 1:11.57 for the six panels. Advancing around the turn, Flashiest picked off horses one by one and rallied strongly down the center of the lane, getting up in the final strides to prevail by a head over Crew Dragon at the wire. No Foolery Here was another nose back in third.
The time was 1:35.88 for a mile on the firm turf.
"I had a plan for him, but he didn't break so well and so I didn't push it," said Cedillo. "I just let him do his own thing and saved ground around the first turn. But when we went for the second turn, I said 'This is it.' I went wide with him and let him do his thing. He did it all. He was the winner."
Flashiest improved his record to 3-1-0 from 4 starts and has amassed earnings of $120,102.
“I wasn’t happy being so wide, but this horse has always been a bad actor at the gate and never sends speed," said trainer Leonard Powell. "And when you don’t have the speed you have to go wide to advance. I thought he was six or seven wide turning into the stretch, but he has a big, long stride reaching out. He was a very immature horse, and he came in late to the barn, but he has been a good presence.”
Flashiest gets up for the win in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar
What a special Opening Day for Trainer @LeoPowellRacing as he celebrates Flashiest's win in the #Runhappy Oceanside Stakes alongside his daughter @delmarracing!
Hear from both of them what this emotional moment means to them with @ScottTVG: pic.twitter.com/Y2iKRI9yal— TVG (@TVG) July 17, 2021
The connections of Flashiest in the winner's circle after the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar
Hailing from the family of multiple graded stakes winners Rich in Spirit and Wishing Gate , Flashiest is the first stakes winner produced from the Malibu Moon mare Nothing to Wear . He was bred by Indian Creek & Nicky Drion in Kentucky.
Del Mar established an Opening Day record handle mark of $21,339,643, which smashed by 29.3% the previous all-time high of $16,500,914 set in 2016. Last year's Opening Day handle was $15,024,635, which was bested 42% by today's number.