Ekati's Phaeton earned her second graded win of the Gulfstream meet (Adam Coglianese Photo)

Ekati's Phaeton wired Saturday's $200,000 Davona Dale S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park after a stretch-long duel with Birdatthewire (Summer Bird) and Eskenformoney (Eskendereya). Piloted by Luis Saez, the Bill Kaplan-trained filly was a neck better than rival Birdatthewire, who beat her in the Forward Gal S. (G2) last out, while stakes debuter Eskenformoney finished another neck back in third.

"This filly has the most speed of any filly I've ever trained, and I trained Musical Romance to win the Breeders' Cup," Kaplan stated.

"In all of her races prior to this one, I've been trying to teach her to stay off it a little bit and keep herself in reserve. We didn't do too good last time doing it that way. (Saez) said she wants to be up front, so I told him to just let her go. We let her go today and he proved he was right. She's an amazing horse."

Ekati's Phaeton set the pace in the one-mile affair, quickly moving to the fore when the gates opened over the fast dirt. She posted splits of :23, :45 4/5, 1:10 3/5 and 1:23 4/5 while chased by 7-2 favorite Eskenformoney and, early on, Jacaranda (Congrats). Birdatthewire was bumped at the break and allowed to settle in the rear of the field for the opening half-mile.

Ekati's Phaeton (No. 10) repulsed challenges from Birdatthewire (red hat) and Eskenformoney (yellow hat)  (Lauren King/Adam Coglianese Photo)

"She ran a game, game race," trainer Dale Romans praised his charge, Birdatthewire. "There's nothing negative to say about it. Those were three good horses with three good riders all the way to the wire. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

"Bill Kaplan is a very underrated trainer," Romans added. "He's proven he can do it. He did it with a champion filly before."

Ekati's Phaeton is now 7-4-1-0, $241,840 while sporting the silks of owner Phaedrus Flights LLC, who purchased the filly for $50,000 in 2013 as an OBS August yearling after the dark bay miss RNAed for $18,000 as a Keeneland November weanling one year prior. She earned 50 points toward a spot in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) starting gate at Churchill Downs on May 1 thanks to this win.

After breaking her maiden and taking an allowance/optional claimer in her initial two starts at Gulfstream last fall, Ekati's Phaeton failed to factor in her first attempt against stakes rivals in the Our Dear Peggy S. She made her juvenile finale in the House Party S. at Gulfstream Park West, running second that day, and opened 2015 with a nice win in the Old Hat S. (G3) sprinting six furlongs. She wound up fourth in the Forward Gal after being forced to check last out.