Mark Villa rode A.P. Flatter to a come-from-behind victory in Saturday’s $40,000 Fern Sawyer Handicap for fillies and mares at Ruidoso Downs.

Saddled by Bart Hone for owner Patricia Grunwald, A.P. Flatter closed off fractions of :24.32, :47.35, and 1:12.48, before she stopped the timer in 1:33.34 for 7 ½ furlongs on a sloppy track. The 5-year-old mare’s margin of victory was 1 ¾ lengths from De My Maureen, and she returned a $10.80 win mutuel as the 4-1 third choice in the wagering.

A.P. Flatter was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm, and the mare is one of 114 winners from 157 starters sired by Flatter, a winning son of the Seattle Slew stallion A.P. Indy who ran third in the 2003 Washington Park Handicap (G2) at Arlington Park near Chicago. A full brother to Grade 2 winner Congrats, Flatter has sired the earners of more than $6.7 million from four crops, including Tar Heel Mom, the winner of the April 17, $150,000 Distaff Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. He stands for a $5,000 fee at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

A.P. Flatter’s dam, Adalene, is a winning 15-year-old daughter of Alleged who has produced four winners from as many starters. Adalene’s dam, the Arizona-bred Hold Your Peace mare La Paz, won stakes at Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields, and Turf Paradise from 1990-92.

A 1988 foal who died two years ago, La Paz foaled seven winners from nine starters, including three graded stakes winners, all of whom are half siblings to Adalene – 1999 Del Mar Futurity (G2) winner Forest Camp; the late Spanish Empire, a Pleasant Colony colt who won the ’04 Fifth Season Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas; and Mission Impazible, the winner of this year’s $750,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Racecourse in New Orleans.

A.P. Flatter’s third dam, the Crafty Drone mare Classy Craft, won the $70,246 Phoenix Futurity at Turf Paradise in 1981. Classy Craft produced three stakes winners, including the late My Treat, a filly by Pass The Tab who won the ’89 Arizona Breeders’ Derby (R).

A.P. Flatter’s fourth dam, Classy Stamp, was a winning daughter of the Nasrullah stallion Outing
Class who also foaled three stakes winners.

A $10,000 buy at the 2007 Barretts May Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, A.P. Flatter has earned $75,144 from four wins in 15 outs. The mare was unraced at 2, and she broke her maiden in her career debut at Turf Paradise in March 2008, winning a 5 ½-furlong sprint by 2 ¾ lengths.

A.P. Flatter’s stakes resume includes a third-place finish in last year’s 6-furlong, $50,000 Aspen Cup Handicap at Ruidoso.

Snowdrop ran third, 4 ½ lengths behind A.P. Flatter, and was followed by Little Miss Ruler, Setustrait, Lisianski, 5-2 favorite Cherry One, and Orabell.

A 5-year-old Mazel Trick mare racing for Mark Allen’s Double Eagle Ranch at Roswell, New Mexico, and Lauri A. Dove, De My Maureen earned $8,800 to run her career bankroll to $93,384. The Kentucky-bred mare has been campaigned exclusively in New Mexico, and she was coming off of a 2 ¼-length win in a one-mile, $25,000 claiming route at Sunland Park on March 14.

Snowdrop banked $4,000 for her owner, Double Eagle Ranch and S. Garth McLeod. A 7-year-old chestnut daughter of Beau Genius, Snowdrop has won six of 37 races – including two stakes during the 2008 Downs at Albuquerque meet – and she has earned $276,920.