Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz’s Miss Sunset battled it out with pacesetter Chalon in the stretch of Saturday’s $250,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, inching away to score a half-length victory under jockey Julien Leparoux.
Chalon grabbed command and proceeded to post fractions of :22.64, :45.61 and 1:09.62 while chased by Miss Sunset throughout. Entering the stretch, the rest of the field converged upon the pair but they turned back all comers while continuing their battle. Miss Sunset dug in and drew even on the outside before eventually pulling away slightly to hit the wire in a final time of 1:22.21 for seven furlongs on the fast main track.
Sent off the 3-1 favorite, Miss Sunset paid $8.80 for the win. Chalon had a length to spare over Torrent in third, while Tequilita finished another nose back in fourth. Completing the order of finish were Nonna Mela, Classy Tune, Happy Mesa, Pretty City Dancer, Pinch Hit and Overture.
Miss Sunset earned her third straight stakes victory in the Raven Run following a romping win in the Fleet Treat Stakes on July 30 and the September 4 C.E.R.F. Stakes, both at Del Mar. The Jeff Bonde trainee also boasts scores in the Sweet Life Stakes and Campanile Stakes this year as well as last season’s Generous Portion Stakes. She’s also placed in the Melair Stakes and Evening Jewel Stakes.
Bred in California by Alan Klein and Premier Thoroughbreds LLC, Miss Sunset improved her career mark to 11-7-1-1, $600,390 in this spot. The Into Mischief sophomore is out of the winning Trippi mare Tuscan Sunset, who is a half-sister to the dam of multiple Grade 2-scoring multi-millionaire Prayer for Relief. This is the same female family as Grade 1 hero Another Reef.
