Taris Drives Off With Smasing Lexus Raven Run

 

Commonwealth New Era Racing LLC’s Taris took control of the 11 horse, Lexus Raven Run field early and never surrendered her hold with an impressive win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Keeneland event.

 

Ridden by Clinton Potts in all four of her career starts, the 3-year-old daughter of Flatter jumped out of the gate to take the early lead with ease. Miss Behaviour, Divided Attention, Pirate’s Trove, Cassatt and Sweet Whiskey comprised a pack of stalkers, chasing a pace of :22.45, :44.80 and 1:08.88.

 

Taris took her comfortable lead through the turn and into the stretch run and powered home to post a winning margin of nearly 10 lengths. She covered the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.32.

 

Sweet Whiskey finished second while Thank You Marylou rallied from last place early to finish third. Shayjolie, Taketheodds, Miss Behaviour, the lukewarm 7-2 favorite La Madrina, Bajan, Cassatt, Divided Attention and Pirate’s Trove completed the order of finish. Milam and Courageous Julie were scratched.

 

Largely overlooked at 7-1, Taris is now a four-time winner from five starts with career earnings of $275,700. Taris, trained by Todd Beattie, came into the Raven Run after a 7 ¾-length allowance score at Presque Isle on Sept. 10 that ended a six-month layoff following an off-the-board finish in the Honeybee at Oaklawn last March. 

 

The winner was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider before passing through the Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2012 for $90,000.

 

Taris’ career-first graded stakes win returned $16.00, $8.80 and $7.20 across the board.

 

~Written by Heather Pettinger