Front-Running Taris Rolls in Raven Run

Taris set the pace and rolled to a dominant victory in the Lexus Raven Run Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course. (Coady Photography)
Alone in front early in the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run Stakes, jockey Clinton Potts thought speedy Taris was in perfect position for a breakthrough graded stakes win on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course.
The Flatter filly proved she is something special as she opened up a commanding lead in the stretch and streaked to a nine-length romp for her fourth win in five lifetime starts for trainer Todd Beattie and owner Commonwealth New Era Racing.
“What an amazing horse she is,” Potts said. “What a joy it is to be able to ride a horse like that.
“With her, the biggest thing is just to get her to relax. She was cool as a cucumber the whole way around there, just doing her business. She’s really maturing, coming into herself. She makes my job easy.”
Taris led by a length through a spritely opening quarter-mile in :22.45 and then simply took it to the rest of the field of 11 3-year-old fillies. She completed the seven-furlong race in 1:21.32 to remain unbeaten in sprint races.
Taris’ only career defeat came in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes in March at Oaklawn Park. After a six-month layoff, she returned with a dominant 7 ¾-length victory in a six-furlong allowance race on Sept. 10 at Presque Isle Downs. From there, the Raven Run looked like an solid option to Beattie to test Taris again in a graded stakes.
“I knew it was a big step for her,” Beattie said. “Thought the distance [of the Raven Run] was right; thought the timing was right. I liked all those things, and she stood up to the call.”
Commonwealth New Era Racing purchased Taris for $90,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale from Claiborne Farm, which bred the bay filly in partnership with Adele Dilschneider. She is one of three winners from as many starters out of the winning Theatrical mare Comedy.
Sweet Whiskey finished a distant second, 1 ¼ length clear of third-place finisher Thank You Marylou.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
TARIS POWERED TO A DOMINANT WIN IN THE RAVEN RUN

Coady Photography