Lieutenant Dan Quickest In Green Flash

DEL MAR, CA – Nick Alexander homebred Lieutenant Dan was just too fast for seven rivals in Sunday’s $101,500 Green Flash Handicap (G3) at Del Mar, running 5 furlongs on turf in :55.98.

The 5-year-old gelding by Alexander’s prime stallion Grazen shook off pressure early, then cleared late to finish 2 1/4 lengths best in the dash for 3-year-olds and up. He picked up a check for $60,000 for the win and pushed his bankroll to $543,740.

Geovanni Franco rode the winner for trainer Steve Miyadi.

“No special instructions for me; I know this horse well,” Franco said. “Since he’s come back from his layoff (away from June 2020 to July 2021), he’s more puffed up. He’s acting like a bully. He’s doing good now. When I made the lead in the straight, I wasn’t worried about the others behind me coming to get us, but I wasn’t going to wait for them, either.”

Finishing second was Hogan or Hogan’s Give Me the Lute, a neck in front of Slam Dunk Racing, Old Bones Racing Stable, and Nentwig’s Gregorian Chant. Grade 1 dirt sprint winner Collusion Illusion trailed throughout in his turf debut.

“In this day and age, you’re always worried about the bounce,” Miyadi said. “I didn’t train him particularly hard for (a win here July 23) because I was thinking about this race and I was pleasantly surprised at how well he ran. That’s when you worry about the bounce. He overcame my training.”

Lieutenant Dan paid $6.00, $3.40 and $2.60. Give Me the Lure returned $7.40 and $4.80 and Gregorian Chant paid $3.60 to show.