Coronation Futurity Crowning Moment for Avie's Flatter
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Photo: Michael Burns
Avie's Flatter wins the Coronation Futurity at Woodbine
With a light snow dotting the recently closed Woodbine turf, dreams of a potential Queen's Plate bid were renewed when Ivan Dalos' Avie's Flatter delivered the biggest win of his career, outkicking his competition to take the $225,000 Coronation Futurity Nov. 18 on the all-weather track.
Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of seven juveniles, Avie's Flatter didn't quite get the start he wanted from the gate. Stumbling out of post 3 with jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva in the irons, the 2-year-old son of Flatter righted himself to find a spot in midpack as a keen D Magician shot to the lead.
In command on the rail, D Magician showed no early signs of slowing down and increased his lead from a half-length to fourth lengths along the backstretch. D Magician was still ahead by two lengths through a quarter-mile in :28.41, but Tripwire began to chip away at the lead.
Moving up on the rail, Moon Swings managed to edge past Tripwire by a nose to briefly take second but could not maintain the momentum and slipped back to third as they hit six furlongs in 1:14.65.
Running second from last and widest on the turn, Avie's Flatter angled out five wide and commenced his rally approaching the top of the stretch. One by one, the colt sped past his rivals with a practiced clip and drove to the front of the field.
Still surging as the finish line approached and the cheers of the audience got louder, Avie's Flatter was challenged briefly by a re-rallying Federal Law but turned back his rival to win by a half-length. Final time for the 1 1/8-mile race was 1:51.73.
It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to Moon Swings in third, followed by Tripwire, Jammin Still, and D Magician. Samurai Queen, the sole filly in the field, faded to last.
"I'm very, very lucky," said Da Silva following the win. "I ride for the best trainers here. Josie Carroll brought this horse today, you see the horse, you just look at the horse and you can tell. I have no words to say how much I'm grateful for everybody—also for the grooms and exercise riders. I love you all and good luck to everybody!"
The win was the second in the Futurity for Carroll, who won in 2014 with Decision Day.
Avie's Flatter entered Sunday's race off a dominating 5 1/4-length win in the Oct. 7 Cup and Saucer Stakes on the Woodbine turf. Raced exclusively at the Ontario track in four starts, the colt broke his maiden on debut Aug. 12 before stepping up to graded company next out in the Sept. 16 Summer Stakes (G1T). Bumped and pinched back at the start in the one-mile turf test, the colt still turned in an impressive effort and managed to take fourth behind Fog of War.
Bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm out of the unraced Empire Maker mare Avie's Empire, Avie's Flatter is a half brother to 3-year-old stakes winner Avie's Mineshaft. The colt has won three of his four starts and earned $251,834.