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Dynaforce overturns Mauralakana in Flower Bowl Dr. John A. Chandler's homebred DYNAFORCE (Dynaformer) masterminded a front-running upset of 3-5 favorite Mauralakana (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]) in Saturday's $588,000 Flower Bowl Invitational S. (G1) at Belmont Park. Under a well-judged ride by Alan Garcia, the Bill Mott mare sauntered through splits of :26 1/5, :52 4/5 and 1:19 1/5 on the yielding inner turf. Mauralakana, who was rank early in fourth, made an aggressive move to put her head in front turning for home, but Dynaforce had plenty in reserve. Hurling back the favorite's bid in the stretch, she stormed home an emphatic four-length winner. Dynaforce sluiced through 1 1/4 miles in 2:07 2/5 to record her first victory from four U.S. starts, and in the process, avenged her narrow loss to Mauralakana in the New York S. (G2) in her American bow. Dispatched as the 3-1 second choice in a five-horse field, the winner returned $8.60, $3.40 and $2.30 while keying the $16.20 exacta and $32.80 trifecta (3-4-2). "I'm real proud of her," Mott said. "I saw the fractions and I thought the turf was pretty soft -- I mean 2:07 for a mile and a quarter." "It was an easy trip," Garcia said. "She broke well and let me take the lead. We had Mauralakana beat. In the last strides, Dynaforce showed her stuff." Mauralakana gamely salvaged runner-up honors by a neck from Communique (Smart Strike), paying $2.30 and $2.10. The third-placer provided $2.20 to show at 7-2. It was another 5 1/2 lengths back to Jade Queen (Giant's Causeway), who nosed out Palmilla (Crowd Pleaser) for fourth. "The lack of pace and the soft going probably compromised my chances," Mauralakana's rider Kent Desormeaux said. "I got past her (Dynaforce) and I was faster than the winner, but I couldn't sustain the run. The ground caused that." The Kentucky-bred Dynaforce began her career in France, where she captured the Prix Charles Laffitte and finished third in the Prix Jean Romanet (Fr-G2) and Prix de Liancourt. A terrific second in the aforementioned New York, the five-year-old bay came right back in the Diana S. (G1) and was again a smart second, but she threw in an uncharacteristic fifth in the Glens Falls H. (G3) last time out. Her first top-level victory advanced her mark to 11-4-3-2, $614,772. Dynaforce is a half-sister to the remarkable Cetewayo (His Majesty), a multiple Grade 1 turf star who retired at the age of 10 with more than $1.1 million in earnings. Other half-siblings include Canadian Grade 2 victor Bowman Mill (Kris S.), Group 1-placed Fort Nottingham (Alleged), Grade 2-placed Bryntirion (Bering [GB]), multiple Grade 3-placed De Aar (Gone West) and stakes winner Ntombi (Quiet American). Dynaforce's dam, the winning Diesis (GB) mare Aletta Maria, is also responsible for an unraced juvenile filly named Diza (Empire Maker) and a weanling colt by Johar. Mott was not quite committing Dynaforce to the October 24 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). "I'll have to talk with the owners and discuss it," Mott said. Mauralakana remains on course for Oak Tree despite her upset loss, according to horseman Christophe Clement.
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