Late charge not quite enough for Ragtime in G2 Raven Run

Ragtime flashed home from last to finish a close third in the G2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland, USA, on Saturday, 18 October.

The Bill Mott-trained filly had unleashed a storming run from the rear when taking last month’s G3 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs and again found herself in last of the 10 runners after being squeezed for room leaving the stalls.

Switched wide by Junior Alvarado rounding the far turn, Ragtime moved up two places at the top of the straight but still had significant ground to make up on the leaders.

Ragtime quickened powerfully down the centre of the course, taking third inside the final half-furlong and getting to within half a length of Kappa Kappa and Vodka With A Twist at the line.

Junior Alvarado said: “Ragtime didn’t break today. I tried to see if I could get through traffic somewhere to cut the corner a little bit, but I didn’t have any chance. I had to swing around and lost a lot of ground. If I had a little more ground left before the wire, I think I could have closed.”