Avie’s Flatter Scores in Transylvania

[Wandering Eyes]

Avie’s Flatter continued to display the good form he had as a juvenile with a winning effort in his sophomore bow in the GIII Trasylvania S. at Keeneland Friday. The Ivan Dalos homebred raced between rivals in mid-pack as Onthewaytonevrland (Ire) (No Nay Never) clocked early fractions :23.59 and :48.23 with longshot Weekly Call (Will Take Charge) glued to his outside hip. Tipped out for a two-wide bid turning for home, the bay powered past the leaders in the lane and held off a late charge from Henley’s Joy to score. European import The Black Album held third. Owner/breeder Ivan Dalos and trainer Josie Carroll successfully teamed up with a son of Flatter in the past at Keeneland, winning the 2016 GIII Commonwealth S. with Ami’s Flatter.

“We had some pretty solid works at Palm Meadows,” Carroll said. “I thought he was in good order, but I did say to Javier [Castellano], ‘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.’ Mr. Dalos breeds a really good horse, and we thought this horse was special from the very beginning.”

“I really liked the way he did it today,” Castellano said. “I’ve been studying the horse since last year. 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.”

A debut winner sprinting over the Woodbine synthetic Aug. 12, Avie’s Flatter did not disgrace himself when closing to be fourth in the GI Summer S. on the grass there Sept. 16. Scoring by 5 1/4 lengths in the restricted Cup and Saucer S. going 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine turf Oct. 7, he concluded his juvenile campaigned with a victory in the nine-panel Coronation Futurity S. on that venue’s synthetic track Nov. 18.

Pedigree Notes:

Avi’s Flatter is the 18th graded stakes winner for his sire and one of 52 black-type victors. He is a half-brother to Wonder Where S. victress Avie’s Mineshaft (Mineshaft). They are out of the unraced Dalos homebred, Avie’s Empire, whose only foal since is a juvenile filly named Avie’s Spun (Hard Spun). The 11-year-old mare visited Shanghai Bobby last spring.

 

View the full article