The chances are slim that Ontario racing fans will get to see one of the top American-based 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine for the 163rd Queen’s Plate, but the premier Canadian race was mentioned after Flurry Racing Stables’ Interstatedaydream tallied her second consecutive graded stakes win with a convincing victory in the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Trainer Brad Cox said Interstatedaydream could be considered for a stake over Woodbine’s all-weather surface such as the Queen’s Plate for Canadian-breds against males.
“But I like the idea of keeping her on dirt,” he said. “I think our short-term goal could be possibly the Cotillion (at Parx). It’s a Grade 1. Saratoga, we’ll see. The Alabama (G1) would be an option as well. We’re going to let some of these fillies like Nest and (Kentucky Oaks winner) Secret Oath kind of duke it out maybe this summer and if the Cotillion comes up the way we’d like, that could be a good spot as well. We need to take a swing at a Grade 1 at some point, and that could be one I’ve kind of eyeballed.”
That kind of patience served Flurry and Cox well with Shedaresthedevil, now a three-time Grade 1 winner.
Said Flurry: “That’s kind of the motif that Brad has taught us: Be patient with them. Don’t try to throw them to the wolves every time there’s a race out there they fit in. Be patient, take your time between spots and they’ll reward you. Look at how we’ve done with Shedaresthedevil. That’s kind of the game plan we had in 2020, and it won us the Kentucky Oaks. It was a good finish today I’m excited to see what the future holds for us.”
Dueling with early pacesetter Patna, who lead through a half mile in :48.26, Interstatedaydream edged to the lead under Florent Geroux and got furlongs in 1:12.55 before Runaway Wife came up alongside around the far turn and into the stretch, getting her head in front.
Brad Cox-trained Interstatedaydream battled back resolutely and shook free to score by 2 ½ lengths as the 3-10 favorite in the field of seven fillies, finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.27 on a track rated as good.
Runaway Wife held for second, 6 ½ lengths in front of third-place finisher Silverleaf.
“Around the turn I kind of got a little worried, but she dug back in, and she looked like what we thought she was,” said owner Staton Flurry. “We wanted to get another graded stakes under her belt and hopefully we can go onto bigger and better things.”
Interstatedaydream, who returned $2.60, came into the Indiana Oaks off her first graded score in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) May 20 at Pimlico, which followed her third in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) April 8 at Keeneland in her first stakes appearance.
“She was extremely well-spotted,” said Geroux, who also teamed with Cox and Flurry to win the 2020 Indiana Oaks with Shedaresthedevil, who in her next start won the COVID-delayed Kentucky Oaks (G1). “Brad decided to run her in this race and pass on the heavy-heads on the East Coast and West Coast. Perfect spot. She won very nicely last time out at Pimlico, and it was nice to get another graded stakes on her resume.”
Flurry said Interstatedaydream is named for one of his favorite bands, the Oklahoma-based Turnpike Troubadours.
“There’s a line in one of their songs like ‘You ain’t nothing, just an interstatedaydream.’ I said, ‘That sounds like a really good horse name. So here she is.”
Bred by the late William D. Graham at Windhaven in Caledon, ON Interstatedaydream is out of the Uncle Mo mare Babcock, whose runners also include the multiple stakes-placed Emmeline.
The winner was sold at auction three times, initially bringing $105,000 as a newly-turned yearling at the 2020 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, then she sold for $130,000 later that year at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Finally, the filly was picked up by Flurry Racing Stables for $175,000 at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
-with files from Horseshoe Indianapolis
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