Satans Quick Chick rallied along the rail under Leandro Goncalves to score a major upset in the $300,000, Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes Saturday at Keeneland.
Forced to steady at the top of the stretch, Goncalves finally found an opening between horses with three-sixteenths of a mile remaining and Satans Quick Chick rushed through it for her first stakes victory and fourth win in nine starts.
“(Trainer) Eric Reed told me to break there and sit, save ground and when I get to the three-eighths pole see where you’re at and find the best trip,” said Goncalves. “He had confidence in me, and it helped a lot.”
The daughter of Sky Mesa ran seven furlongs on the fast Polytrack in 1:22.62 and gave Goncalves and Reed their first graded stakes victory. She earned $180,000 for Jerry Jamgotchian, increasing her career earnings to $252,229.
“I thought we were in trouble on the turn, but Leandro gave her a great trip,” said Reed. “The waters kinda parted (in the stretch) and here she came.”
Santans Quick Chick, a 23-1 outsider in the field of 14 3-year-old fillies, finished a half length in front of 49-1 longshot Slides Choice. She was a half length in front of Don’ttalktome, a 41-1 longshot who had two-length lead in midstretch.
Flashing, winner of the Test Stakes (G1) in August and the 2-1 favorite, faded to 12th in the 14-horse field after racing near the lead early.
“She broke well and I was happy with the position we were in,” said Flashing’s jockey, Richard Migliore. “I took her out and she fought for a quarter of a mile, but we got bounced around quite a bit. She never really took hold. She just didn’t run her race.
Satans Quick Chick paid $48.40 and gave Goncalves his third win of the afternoon.