La Sardane Keeps Hot Streak Lit in $100,000 Perfect Sting

ELMONT, NY – Team Valor International’s La Sardane continued her hot streak on Saturday, digging in late to wire the field in Saturday’s $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes at Belmont Park.

Breaking sharply from post 2 as the co-9-5 favorite under Flavien Prat, La Sardane set out on the lead through opening fractions of :23.68 and :46.41 with fellow 9-5 favorite Thais keeping close watch. Rounding the far turn, La Sardane remained confidently handled while Pas de Soucis mounted an attempt to challenge. Given her cue with 1/4 mile remaining, La Sardane repelled her foe and then outlasted the late-charging In the Lee to win the mile-long turf event by a 1/2-length in a final time of 1:33.19.

“I always wanted to try and be on the lead with her,” Prat said. “She won in France on the lead, so I thought on this turf, she would like that a little bit better. She’s very fast and has a high cruising speed. When I asked her to go, she gave me that great kick. She did all the rest.”

Pas de Soucis lost second late by 1/2 of a length. Princess Gibraltar took fourth over Feeling Bossy, while Thais faded to sixth ahead of only Lido.

La Sardane’s win was her third straight overall and second in a stakes event, following a similar score in the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes here on June 7 for trainer Neil Drysdale. The French-bred 4-year-old daughter of Kingsalsa improved her overall record to 11-5-3-1 with earnings of $328,879.

La Sardane returned $5.60 to win, $3.70 to place, and $3.20 to show. In the Lee brought back $5.20 to place and $3.60 to show, while Pas de Soucis paid $5.90 to show.