Atlantic Ocean Starting To Earn Her Keep, Wins Third Straight Stakes
By, John Gaver III

(January 25, 2003) - Under a well-timed ride by jockey David Flores, the Thoroughbred Corp.'s Atlantic Ocean, a $1.9 million two-year-old in training purchase, took advantage of a quick :44.28 half-mile and reeled in battling front-runners Humorous Lady and Ivanavinalot inside the eighth pole to win the inaugural running of the Sunshine Millions Oaks on Jan. 25 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

A dark bay or brown daughter of Stormy Atlantic and the Seattle Slew mare Super Chef, Atlantic Ocean rated kindly early, began to pick off horses inside the three-eighths pole and drew clear in the stretch drive to win by a length and a half over the game Florida invader Ivanavinalot, the 3-2 post time favorite in the field of 11 three-year-old fillies. Humorous Lady made all the pace carving out fractions of :22 flat, :44.28, and 1:09.78 before tiring in mid-stretch to finish third. Thunder's Echo, Stonecoldfox, Valentine Dancer, Buttertart, Long Term Wish, Miss Nicolie, Pocketfullofpesos and Forthelifeofme rounded out the official order of finish. Elegant Designer and My Kai were scratched.

Atlantic Ocean, who is trained by Bob Baffert, covered seven furlongs in a razor-sharp 1:23.03, a time that equaled Daily Racing Form's three-year-best for seven-eighths of a mile. As the second choice in the wagering, she returned $7.80, $3.40 and $3.

"We knew what we were doing when we paid $1.9 million," Richard Mulhall, racing manager for the Thoroughbred Corp.'s North American interests said. "She's coming around now, a late developer."

Atlantic Ocean improved her lifetime record to 10-5-0-1 and bolstered her career earnings to $438,820 with her win. Additionally, she notched in third consecutive stakes win under jockey David Flores, as the pair had previously won the Grade II Santa Ysabel Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth at Santa Anita on Jan. 5 and the Grade III Miesque Stakes on the turf at Hollywood Park on Nov. 29.

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