For the connections of the 3-year-old filly Raging Sea , the theme of the $200,000 Comely Stakes (G3) was “better late than never.”
It may have taken until the final weekend of the penultimate month in 2023 to post a graded stakes win, but in her last chance to record a black-type victory against fellow 3-year-old fillies Raging Sea lived up to the potential she displayed at 2 and gamely held off Julia Shining to record a nose victory in the 1 1/8-mile test Nov. 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
“She had little setbacks and it took her a bit to get in race shape, but when she finally did, she got it all together and rounded back into form,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I was very pleased to see that.”
A year ago, Alpha Delta Stables’ homebred Raging Sea was a promising enough runner to turn in good efforts in a pair of grade 1 stakes, topped by a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). But her 3-year-old campaign was beset with enough delays that she did not kick off 2023 until Aug. 9, when the daughter of Curlin was fourth in an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga Race Course.
Two improved efforts, a second and then a win in an Oct. 20 allowance race at Keeneland, earned her a spot in the Comely, her final chance to run in a stakes restricted to 3-year-olds and she managed to make up for lost time with a gritty initial stakes win.
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“She hopefully will have a complete season next year and she’s bred to get better as she gets older. That will be our thought process anyway as we map out a campaign for her,” said Brown who was uncertain of future plans for the daughter of the Storm Cat mare Stormy Welcome.
Raging Sea in the winner’s circle after the Comely Stakes
After breaking from the outside post in a field of six, jockey Manny Franco kept Raging Sea in fifth early on as Ichiban set fractions of :24.62 and :48.74 in the nine-furlong test. As that one faded to last, Raging Sea rolled to the lead from the five path entering the stretch, moving past 8-5 favorite Defining Purposes, who had inherited the lead when Ichiban tired.
After that, the threat came from the outside in the form of Stonestreet Stables’ homebred Julia Shining, who was last at the quarter pole.
The impeccably bred daughter of Curlin trained by Todd Pletcher closed quickly in the final furlong but fell a stride shy of posting her first win since last year’s Demoiselle Stakes (G2), a mile-and-an-eighth stakes at the Big A in December.
“I said ‘Come on filly, I know Pletcher is going to come late,'” Franco said about the stretch battle.
The 2-1 second choice ($6.30), Raging Sea covered the nine furlongs in 1:50.86.
“There was a moment when I thought the wide, sweeping move might take some of the starch out of her at the wire, but she was able to fight and put her head down at the wire against another good filly. I was proud of her,” Brown said.
Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables’ Honor D Lady , an Honor Code filly trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., was third by a neck over Defining Purpose.
Raging Sea is the ninth foal from Stormy Welcome and her first stakes winner.
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