Chili Flag tops Brown trifecta in Distaff Turf Mile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 5-year-old mare Chili Flag was no star during the French phase of her racing career, and during her first season in America in 2023, she slotted in as a high-end allowance or low-level stakes horse. No longer. After winning the Grade 3 Honey Fox on March 2 at Gulfstream, her first graded stakes win, Chili Flag was even better Saturday at Churchill Downs, beating her favored stablemate Coppice by a neck to win the Grade 2, $750,00 Distaff Turf Mile.

The best race of Chili Flag's career gave trainer Chad Brown his fourth straight victory in the Distaff Turf Mile, and Brown swept the top three placings Saturday with Delahaye third. Chili Flag and Coppice were much the best, Delahaye 1 3/4 lengths out of second, and Brown's trio was considerably better than any of the others, Mission of Joy finishing nearly three lengths farther back in fourth.

Chili Flag paid $10.06 as the second choice behind 8-5 Coppice, a 4-year-old English import making her American debut, and ran one mile over a "good" turf course in 1:35.05.

The first two home ran comparable races from the rear of a 10-horse field, Chili Flag rallying from ninth, Coppice from eighth. Going down the backstretch, Coppice and jockey Frankie Dettori raced outside Chili Flag and Irad Ortiz Jr., as Ag Bullet, chased by Walkathon, went a half-mile in 47.20, quick considering the conditions. But into the second turn, Ortiz steered outside to go around horses, Dettori clinging to the rail. Coppice had to wait a couple strides at the quarter pole to find clear passage, but she saved ground as Chili Flag made her move going six wide into the homestretch. As Coppice came between horses and Chili Flag passed the last horse ahead of her, the Brown pair came together and raced as a team to the wire.

Chili Flag was slightly better on the day, but Coppice, in Brown's view, took the worst of things, trying to push past, while racing inside a strong rival for more than a furlong.

"I didn't mind [Dettori] going inside in the final turn. I didn't want [Coppice] to get hung too wide," Brown said. "I'm still getting to know her. I love this filly. I knew she had an electric turn of foot."

Chili Flag, by Cityscape out of Flag Day, by Pivotal, is owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Michael Kisber. A half-year ago, she'd have been a 20-1 shot in a race like this. At 5, Chili Flag belatedly has found herself.

"Sometimes these horses, if you give them enough time, they start to improve," Brown said. "You stick with them, you give them space to really reach their peak whatever age that might be."

Chili Flag and Coppice are likely for the Just a Game Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard next month. That's a Grade 1. It might not be out of reach for Chili Flag.

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