Flatlined Gets There in Upsetting the Fort Lauderdale
Flatlined, a five-year-old gelding by Flatter, came from far back under jockey Joe Bravo to score a 15-1 upset today over eleven others in the $200,000 Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes.
Not a bad way to start off the New Year for Flatlined as this was his first graded stakes win. He signaled his readiness last out when he almost caught one of today’s favorites, Heart to Heart, in the El Prado Stakes over this same Gulfstream Park turf course.
Off from the nine post, Flatlined had to be taken up just a bit as he left the gate, but jockey Joe Bravo quickly pointed the gelding towards the rail where he would take up residence around the first turn in 9th place, just outside of Almanaar who was in 10th. Off quickly out of the gate was second choice Heart to Heart, he would lead the twelve horse field into the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch through a first quarter in 23.23 and a half in 48.20.
The race favorite, Divisidero, was in second to last at this point of the race, about seven lengths back of the leader, and a length behind Flatlined, who was just ahead of him in 10th. As Heart to Heart led the field into the far turn, he looked like he would be tough to catch today through three quarters in 1:12.05. Rose Brier, who had been tracking the leader for most of the race, put the pressure on Heart to Heart as they made the turn for home, and these two battled each other on the inside.
Meanwhile, Joe Bravo made the key move of the race. Instead of going to the outside around horses on the final turn, he threaded the needle and made a rail move, and then swung a few paths to the outside once in the straight. It was a cavalry charge down the stretch as Flatlined, Almanaar and Divisidero all closed strongly in the stretch. In the end, it was Flatlined who prevailed by a neck over Almanaar. Divisidero was three quarters of a length back in 3rd. Heart to Heart and Rose Brier were separated by a head in 4th and 5th, a nose behind Divisidero.
After the race, an ecstatic Charles "Scooter" Dickey, the trainer of Flatlined, talked after the race saying, “The Flatters just get better with age, like I had with [multiple Grade 1 winner] Flat Out. If they don’t go wrong, they’re at their best at 4 or 5 years old. I thought if he ran the race he had last time, he’d have a chance. Joe [Bravo] rode him great. Joe told me, ‘I knew I had them at the top of the lane.’ I said, ‘I didn’t think you had them until the wire.’
The race was not without mishap as the four-year-old Copingaway, sired by Brother Derek, went down after clipping heels in the upper stretch. The colt appeared to have clipped heels when squeezed between Fire Way and Macagone. Copingaway had to be euthanized because of his injuries and Jockey Jairo Rendon was transported to the hospital with an injured shoulder. Copingaway was owned by Thoroughbred Champions Training Center LLC and trained by Jaime Mejia.
With the win today, Flatlined improved his record to 19-5-4-2 and his earnings jumped to over $350,000. Flatined is owned by Hytrek, Brian, Paden, Rodney and Kuhn, Ryan, and was bred in Kentucky by B & B Thoroughbreds Inc. & Marty Hughes.
Flatlined paid $32.60, $11.20, and $9.00 for the win. Almanaar returned $12.80 and $6.80, while Divisidero paid $3.80 to show. Trainer Scooter Dickey mentioned after the race that Flatlined would be pointed to the Grade I $350,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on Feb. 11.