Sarah Sis pulls the upset in the Raven Run
As the ten horse field of the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes bunched up coming out of the far turn, it looked like any one of a number of the three-year-old fillies had a shot to run down the early leaders, Bar of Gold and Sarah Sis, but the pair proved simply too tough to pass. The only passing on the front end came from the top two. In the end, it was the 17-1 shot, Sarah Sis getting the money over the race favorite, Bar of Gold, in an exciting finish to the seven furlong affair over the main track this afternoon at Keeneland.
In what has been a topsy turvy season for the Ingrid Mason trained filly, today’s victory proved to be her biggest win yet. She started the year very well running good seconds in both the Dixie Belle and Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park, before winning the Grade 3 Honeybee at the same Arkansas oval. She also won a pair of stakes in the summer at Prairie Meadows, including the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks, but only after being eased and vanned off in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Most recently, she had finished a disappointing sixth in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks.
Off that effort, it was no wonder that dark bay was largely ignored in a competitive edition of the Raven Run. Ridden by the white-hot Florent Geroux, Sarah Sis flashed early speed but was content to sit a comfortable second, behind the 3-2 Bar of Gold. The Grade 1 Test runner-up carried the field through early fractions of :23.23 and :46.37. Geroux had Sarah Sis in an ideal stalking position behind that one, and together the pair edged past Bar of Gold in mid-stretch. With I’m a Looker and a few others closing in, Sarah Sis was able to stay strong to the wire, a half-length winner
“Someone else wanted to go and was able to set very reasonable fractions,” said Geroux. “I was able to sit (off the pace) and my filly was very relaxed where she was. Down the stretch when I asked her, she gave everything she’s got. She was very brave. She did the rest.
Bar of Gold held on doggedly for second just a nose better than the fast closing I’m a Looker, who went off at 42-1. Kathballu completed the three-way photo for second, and was only a neck farther back in fourth.
Final time for the seven furlongs on the fast main track was a solid 1:22.96. With the victory, the Joe Ragsdale owned Sarah Sis raised her lifetime mark to 13-6-3-0. The daughter of Sharp Humor raised her career earnings total to a sizable $566,400, while winning her fourth stakes race of the year. She also joined an impressive roll call of Raven Run winners, which includes Sightseek, Hilda’s Passion, Taris, and the champion, Informed Decision.
After the race, the winning trainer was pleased with her filly’s ability to relax early in second. “She’s run some brilliant races and has come from off the pace in the past,” said Mason. “We all knew she had it, and that’s why I hire jockeys to make that decision out of the gate: If she was going on her own easy, then go on with it. If not, sit on her. She obviously can come from off the pace.”
Sarah Sis proved bountiful to those who liked her this afternoon at Keeneland, paying $36.00 for the win. She also triggered a $164 exacta, despite the favorite just holding on for second, and with the longshot third place finisher, the Raven Run trifecta returned a healthy $2,365.00
Considering the busy ten-race season that Sarah Sis has had starting back on January 15, her trainer believes it is time for a rest. “I’m going to give her 30 days (off),” said Mason. “She can have a vacation. That was the plan. I’m sticking to it.”