Lieutenant Dan has the legs to win Green Flash at Del Mar
Lieutenant Dan was just too fast for seven rivals in Sunday’s Grade 3, $101,500 Green Flash Handicap on the firm turf at Del Mar.
The 5-year-old gelding by Alexander’s prime stallion, Grazen, shook off pressure early and then cleared late to finish 2 1/4 lengths best in the one-turn dash for 3-year-olds and up.
Lieutenant Dan triumphantly ran the five furlongs in 55.98 seconds off early fractions of 22.16 and 44.52 seconds.
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He picked up a check for $60,000 for the win and pushed his bankroll to $543,740. Geovanni Franco rode the winner for trainer Steve Miyadi.
“No special instructions for me,” Franco said. “I know this horse well. Since he’s come back from his (13-month) layoff, he’s more puffed up. He’s acting like a bully. He’s doing good now. When I made the lead in the straight, I wasn’t worried about the others behind me coming to get us. But I wasn’t going to wait for them, either.”
Coming back from the long break for an allowance win July 23 at Del Mar, Miyadi was worried that Lieutenant Dan might be too good to be true.
“In this day and age you’re always worried about the bounce,” he said. “I didn’t train him particularly hard for (last month’s win), because I was thinking about this race, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well he ran. That’s when you worry about the bounce. He overcame my training.”
Give Me the Lute, owned by Hogan and Hogan, finished second, a neck in front of Gregorian Chant, owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Old Bones Racing Stable and Nentwig.
Lieutenant Dan paid $6.00, $3.40 and $2.60. Give Me the Lure returned $7.40 and $4.80. Gregorian Chant paid $3.60 to show.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for Franco and his first in the Green Flash. He has four career stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes score was the first of the meet for trainer Miyadi and his first in the Green Flash. He also has four stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner and breeder is Nick Alexander of Santa Ynez and Del Mar, Calif.