Avie's Flatter Charges to Victory in Transylvania
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Avie's Flatter wins the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland
Patience, always a useful attribute in the racing game, sometimes is needed over generations.
That kind of patience paid off April 5 for owner-breeder Ivan Dalos as his homebred Avie's Flatter rallied between horses and stormed through the stretch to win the $150,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in his 2019 debut.
Avie's Flatter, a son of Flatter who picked up his fourth win in five starts for trainer Josie Carroll, is out of the unraced Empire Maker mare Avie's Empire.
"Avie's Empire was a talented runner who was unable to race because of an injury," Carroll said. "She had a lot of promise. In fact, she was talented enough that she was the workmate for our 2011 Queen's Plate winner, Inglorious."
On Friday, Avie's Flatter, the third winner from as many starters for his dam, carried the torch in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds that saw eight start. Avie's Flatter, with multiple Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano up, rated in fourth or fifth as Onthewaytonevrland set the pace through a half-mile in :48.23 and six furlongs in 1:12.64 on the firm turf.
That run set up a blanket finish in which the top four finishers completed the race within two lengths of one another. In that crowded stretch run, Avie's Flatter—bottled up until early stretch, where he was shifted to the four path—appeared perfectly comfortable. Avie's Flatter edged clear in deep stretch and had enough to hold off a late charge from favored Henley's Joy, a two-time stakes winner who raced at the back of the pack into the stretch.
"I really liked the way he did it today," Castellano said. "I've been studying the horse since last year. (I) rode against (him). I like the way he does everything. He can be on the lead. He can cover up. Today, he broke a little slow. I didn't rush it. (Considering) the layoff and the way he performed today—very amazing."
Avie's Flatter completed the distance in 1:42.86 and paid $10, $4.80, and $3.80. Henley's Joy returned $4 and $3.20. The Black Album paid $4.40 to show, earning his first United States graded-stakes placing after posting a group 3 win in France last year.
Trainer Josie Carroll, in red, and Colleen Dalos with Avie's Flatter and Javier Castellano
In preparing for his first start since mid-November, Avie's Flatter completed a string of works in South Florida ahead of the race.
"We had some pretty solid works at Palm Meadows," Carroll said. "I thought he was in good order, but I did say to Javier, 'Keep him covered up a little bit and make sure you have some horse to finish, because it has been a while since he ran.'"
Colleen Dalos, daughter of owner Ivan Dalos, said she knew Avie's Flatter had talent from the start.
"The only question we had was about his best surface, and we felt like he was better on the turf," said Dalos, who is helping to manage the stable and learning the racing and breeding game from her father, who has 40 years of experience in racing and has won multiple graded stakes. "It looked today like we were right about that."
Last year, Avie's Flatter won stakes on the turf and the all-weather surface at Woodbine. In his one loss, Avie's Flatter ran fourth in the Summer Stakes (G1T) on the Woodbine turf, a race won by Fog of War in which Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) contender War of Will finished second.
Bred in Ontario by Dalos' Tall Oaks Farm, Avie's Flatter is a half brother to stakes winner Avie's Mineshaft.