Raging Sea Aims for Back-to-Back Wins in Saratoga’s Shuvee Stakes

The Chad Brown trainee will face six rivals in the 1 1/8-mile dirt contest, including Prides Crossing and Leslie's Rose

Raging Sea Captures the La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs / CHURCHILL DOWNS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- Owner-bred by Alpha Delta Stables, Raging Sea will bid for her seventh graded stakes victory Friday when she faces seven rivals in the $200,000 G2 Shuvee Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on the Saratoga dirt, a race restricted to fillies and mares four and up.

Trained by Chad Brown, who previously won this race with Paid Up Subscriber (Candy Ride) in 2017 and Royal Flag (Candy Ride) in 2021, the 5-year-old daughter of Curlin, out of a Seeking the Gold mare, will break from post five under Flavien Prat, carrying 124 pounds.

Winner of last year’s Shuvee during a campaign that also included victories in the G1 Personal Ensign and G2 Beldame Stakes, Raging Sea comes off a troubled third in the G1 Ogden Phipps in June, having returned earlier this season with a strong win in the G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

“Her La Troienne was fantastic off the layoff,” Brown said. “She’s in really good form and training great. Last time, the track was wet and playing to speed. She didn’t break well and had to come from way back. We’re hoping for a drier track and a bit of pace this time to set up her kick.”

With a career record of 8-2-2 from 15 starts and earnings above $2.2 million, the granddaughter of Welcome Surprise (Secretariat) has solidified herself as one of the nation’s top older mares.

Brown will also saddle Prides Crossing (Quality Road), a 4-year-old making her stakes debut for OXO Equine. Formerly with Paulo Lobo and Will Walden, she arrived in Brown’s barn last winter and has raced three times since, most recently finishing a close second in an allowance at Belmont over a muddy track. Cristian Torres rides from post four at 120 pounds.

“She’s a well-bred filly who’s been working really well. It’s a big jump, but it felt like the right time to try,” Brown said.

Todd Pletcher will aim to become the winningest trainer in Shuvee history, currently tied with Allen Jerkens at five wins apiece. He sends out Leslie’s Rose (Into Mischief), who will look to rebound after being eased in the Ogden Phipps. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post three, also at 124 pounds.

Winner of last year’s G1 Ashland Stakes over champion Just F Y I (Justify), Leslie’s Rose faced a demanding sophomore campaign, including multiple clashes with Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), and finished fourth after setting the pace in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). She returned this season to be third in the G3 Vagrancy and will now stretch back out to a more favorable distance.

Also in the field is Malibu Beauty (Buffum), a 7-year-old Maryland-based mare in top form for Gary Capuano. She comes off a front-running victory in the Obeah Stakes (L) at Delaware Park and will break from the outside under Kendrick Carmouche, carrying 122 pounds, as she seeks her first graded win.

“She’s back to her best form and earned this shot at graded black type,” Capuano said. The trainer last started a horse at Saratoga in 2002.

Runner-up in the Obeah was Gun Song (Gun Runner), trained by Mark Hennig. The 4-year-old, drawn in post two with John Velazquez, was a graded stakes winner last year in the G2 Black-Eyed Susan and second to Thorpedo Anna in the G1 Cotillion, and will look to recapture that form after a few setbacks this year.

From the rail is Sidamara (Arrogate), a Juddmonte homebred adding blinkers after finishing fifth in the Obeah. Junior Alvarado rides for Bill Mott, who said: “We were expecting a bit more last time, but she’s doing well and has the class to handle this.”

Completing the field is Dazzling Move (Not This Time), runner-up to Dorth Vader (Girvin) in the Ogden Phipps. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee will break from post six under Jose Ortiz, carrying 122 pounds, looking to build on her win in February’s G3 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park.