From
Thoroughbred Daily News
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay revealed yesterday that he has purchased French listed stakes winner
Dear Lavinia (Grand Slam) from owner/breeder Joseph Allen, and will enter her in the Nov. 4 GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Flay got his first taste of Breeders’ Cup glory when More Than Real (More Than Ready)--also acquired by private purchase--won the Juvenile Fillies Turf last term. “Dear Lavinia was brought to our attention by bloodstock agent Michel Zerolo, who does a lot of good work bringing horses from Europe to the United States,” Flay told the TDN. “The thing that most impressed us was how consistent she’s been during her first five races--she’s won three times with a second and a third. She’s already a stakes winner, and she’s always right there. We also liked the fact that she’s a late foal, so there’s lots of upside going forward.”
Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the bay finished a close third to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Elusive Kate (Elusive Quality) in a Listed event at Deauville in July, and most recently annexed the 7 1/2-furlong Grand Criterium de Bordeaux at Bordeaux le Bouscat Oct. 13 (video). Flay said that a defense of More Than Real’s Breeders’ Cup title was not a factor in the decision to purchase Dear Lavinia, explaining, “I’m always on the look-out for young fillies that have some capabilities, and this one just sort of came up at the last second.” Flay’s new acqusition will arrive in the States on Saturday.
Super Espresso (Medaglia d’Oro) and
Her Smile (Include) will also carry Flay’s silks on Breeders’ Cup Friday. The former has been pre-entered in the GI Ladies’ Classic, while the latter will go in the GI Filly and Mare Sprint. “I think the Ladies’ Classic is a wide-open race if Havre de Grace goes in the Classic,” noted Flay. “The Filly and Mare Sprint also looks like it will be wide open--Turbulent Descent (Congrats) is very fast and will probably be favored, but Her Smile is just sort of learning to run at these distances. We bought her as a distance filly, but we dropped her back to six furlongs for the GI Prioress S. and she won. I draw a line right through the Charles Town Oaks [last time Sept. 17]--there was a lot of bumping and it’s an odd race with the way the turns are there.”