Buy TicketsDale Ladner’s Alva Starr, runaway winner of the Prioress (G2) at Saratoga in her most recent start, headlines a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered Saturday for the 25th running of the $350,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) to be contested Oct. 21.
A winner of three of five races for trainer and co-breeder Brett Brinkman, Alva Starr made her graded stakes debut in the 6-furlong Prioress and led all the way in posting an 8¾-length victory. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Alva Starr for the 7-furlong Lexus Raven Run and will exit post position 7.
Also in the field are recent Grade 3 winners Lady Radler and Vahva.
Mellow Patch Inc.’s Lady Radler posted a 23-1 upset in the 7-furlong Dogwood (G3) at Churchill Downs on Sept. 23 for trainer Michael Campbell. Jesus Castanon has the mount for the Lexus Raven Run and will break from post position 8.
Belladonna Racing, Edward Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, Nice Guys Stables and Twin Brook Stables’ Vahva won the 7-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G3) as the favorite in her most recent start for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Vahva will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post position 4.
The field for the Lexus Raven Run, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Lily Poo (Gerardo Corrales, 118 pounds), SimplyStated (Luis Saez, 118), Nom de Plume (Flavien Prat, 118), Vahva (Velazquez, 118), Apple Picker (Sheldon Russell, 118), Dazzling Blue (Florent Geroux, 118), Alva Starr (Gaffalione, 120), Lady Radler (Castanon, 118), Ancient Peace (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118).