A last-minute entry paid off royally at Saratoga on Saturday as Parnac took full advantage of a 4-horse field, dictating the pace with a stellar ride from Dylan Davis and running away with the $500,000, Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes, earning an automatic berth and free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup.
Parnac was earmarked for a race at Kentucky Downs until Christophe caught wind of the minute cast for the Flower Bowl.
She responded to Dylan’s prompting and took control early, which developed into a dream pace scenario as she led through a half-mile in 51.33, six furlongs in 1:18.82 and a mile in 1:43.95, leaving more than enough to finish up strongly as she got her final eighth in under 12 seconds.
“The Clements had her ready. She’s a great horse and she likes the distance,” Davis said. “They had her ready today and I just was listening to them and what I needed to do. I hadn’t been on her before, so I watched replays and she was there for me when I asked her. She was able to pick up that last eighth of a mile to finish it up.”
West Point acquired a majority interest in Parnac at the end of her 2-year-old season in Europe and moved her to the Clement barn in America. West Point campaigns her in a racing partnership with Dream With Me Stable. Parnac now owns five wins in 11 races and $467,517 in earnings.
Parnac, Part of ABR’s ‘Stake and Stardom’ Initiative, Wins Flower Bowl Stakes in Upset
