Joe Labozzetta Photo

Chili Flag earns G1 credentials in $500K Just a Game

by NYRA Press Ofiice

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Kisber’s Chili Flag powered down the center of the inner turf course to overtake stablemate Whitebeam in mid-stretch and go on to a half-length triumph in the 31st running of Friday's Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game for older fillies and mares going one mile on the inner turf, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which spans Thursday through Sunday, is highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8. The four-day Festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014.

It was the fourth victory of the day for jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., and record-extending seventh in the Just a Game for trainer Chad Brown, who entered five of the seven horses in the field. Brown previously won the Just a Game with Antonoe [2017], A Raving Beauty [2018], Rushing Fall [2019], Newspaperofrecord [2020], Regal Glory [2022] and In Italian [2023].

Chili Flag, a 5-year-old French-bred daughter of British-bred Cityscape, won for the third straight race and picked up her first career Grade 1 victory, moving over the $1 million mark in career earnings. Sent off at odds of 4-1, she returned $10.40 for a $2 win bet.

“Chili Flag ran great today. She’s got a strong kick. She's really improved this year so it's nice to see if you're patient with some of these horses and you let them develop into the program [they can succeed],” Brown said. “There was a point in time last year when I thought she wouldn't be a Grade 1-winner, but I'm not surprised at all that she's having this type of season. During the winter she kept showing us she's really improving.”

Evvie Jets, who sprung a 29-1 upset in last summer’s Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga, was quickest from the gate and ran an opening quarter-mile in 23.91 seconds pressed to her outside by Whitebeam, one of three previous Grade 1 winners in the field along with Brown-trained stablemates Gina Romantica and Beaute Cachee.

Beaute Cachee settled along the rail in third with Gina Romantica alongside in fourth as fellow Brown trainee Coppice, the 3-2 betting favorite, moved up between them after breaking last as Mission of Joy and Chili Flag trailed the field. The half-mile went in 48.64 with 26-1 longshot Evvie Jets still in front as Whitebeam cut into her advantage.

Whitebeam finally wrested a short lead once straightened for home after going six furlongs in 1:12.34, but Ortiz, Jr. had moved Chili Flag into contention on the outside at the top of the stretch. Set down for a drive, Chili Flag continued to gain ground before reeling in Whitebeam approaching the wire and pulling clear from her and Mission of Joy to emerge from a three-way photo in front. The winning time was 1:35.01 over the firm course.

Whitebeam, who earned her Grade 1 credentials with a nose victory over In Italian in last summer’s Diana at Saratoga, edged a late-running Mission of Joy by a head for third. It was a neck back to a stubborn Evvie Jets in fourth, followed by Gina Romantica, Coppice and Beaute Cachee.

Ortiz, Jr. and Chili Flag had to survive a claim of foul from Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, the rider of Mission of Joy, alleging interference at the top of the stretch. After a stewards’ review, the claim was not allowed.

“I had a beautiful trip. A perfect trip, to be honest. Broke, I let her settle, and she just came running late. She was rolling at the end,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “That’s the way she has been running. So, I didn’t want to change her style.”

Bred by Finanza Locale Consulting SRL, Chili Flag made her first nine starts in Europe before joining Brown’s string in the U.S. last winter. The chestnut has won four of her last five races including the one-mile Grade 3 Honey Fox on March 2 at Gulfstream Park and Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on May 4 at Churchill Downs, both by a neck, heading into the Just a Game.

Chili Flag’s lone loss in that stretch came when a close fourth in Gulfstream’s Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf behind Didia, who one race after the Just a Game captured the Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino.

“Winning Grade 1s at Saratoga never gets old. It's why we do this,” Dubb said. “It's a humbling, humbling game. A lot has to go right to win. When she was flying down the lane, I was thinking she was going to get there.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga for the featured Belmont Stakes Day card, headlined by the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 12. The lucrative 14-race card also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford in Race 7; the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens in Race 8; the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing in Race 9; the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap in Race 10; the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan in Race 11; the Grade 2, $350,000 True North presented by F.W. Webb in Race 4; the Grade 3, $350,000 Poker in Race 5; and the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban in Race 6. First post is 10:45 a.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the four-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.