Lieutenant Dan Makes the Grade in Green Flash
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Lieutenant Dan wins the Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar
Nick Alexander's homebred Lieutenant Dan stepped up to graded company for the first time in the $101,500 Green Flash Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar and ran away with the five-furlong dash by 2 1/4 lengths.
The 5-year-old Grazen gelding dueled on the lead with Give Me the Lute as the pair ran a quarter-mile in :22.16 and a half-mile in 44.52. Under Geovanni Franco, Lieutenant Dan put away his rival in the stretch and continued on to complete the distance on firm turf in :55.98.
It was his second win in two starts this season following a layoff of more than 13 months.
"No special instructions for me; I know this horse well," Franco said. "Since he's come back from his layoff, he's more puffed up. He's acting like a bully. He's doing good now. When I made the lead in the straight, I wasn't worried about the others behind me coming to get us. But I wasn't going to wait for them either."
Give Me the Lute finished second by a neck as Gregorian Chant rallied for third in the eight-horse field.
Trained by Steve Miyadi, Lieutenant Dan increased his career earnings to $543,740 from a 7-3-4 record in 15 starts. He paid $6.00 to win as the 2-1 favorite.
"In this day and age you're always worried about the bounce," Miyadi said. "I didn't train him particularly hard for (a win here July 23), because I was thinking about this race and I was pleasantly surprised at how well he ran. That's when you worry about the bounce. He overcame my training."
A California-bred, Lieutenant Dan is out of the Indian Charlie mare Excusabull, who foaled another Grazen colt, named Butch O'Hare, and was bred back to the same stallion for 2022.