Flintshire, Lady Eli tune up for upcoming stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Flintshire and Lady Eli, two of the stars of trainer Chad Brown’s deep turf roster, returned to the work tab Sunday at Belmont Park as they prepare for upcoming stakes engagements.

Flintshire, the leading older male turf horse in the U.S., worked a half-mile in 50.59 seconds with jockey Javier Castellano maintaining a strong hold of the reins. Flintshire worked in company outside of Money Multiplier. Those two horses are coming out of a one-two finish in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 27 and both are being pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic here on Oct. 1.

“That’s just a gallop for him to go a half in 50, just stretching his legs,” Brown said from Kentucky, where he is attending the yearling auction that begins Monday. “We just want to maintain where he’s at. The horse continues to do fabulous.”

Flintshire, 3 for 3 in the U.S. this year, and Money Multiplier worked moments after Lady Eli and Sea Calisi went a half-mile in a quick 47.65 seconds.

Lady Eli was on the inside of Sea Calisi and the two went along at a pretty solid clip throughout. Lady Eli, coming off her first career defeat when second in the Ballston Spa on Aug. 27, and Sea Calisi, winner of the Beverly D. on Aug. 13, are both being pointed to the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on Oct. 8.

“Those two fillies worked a little quicker than I would have liked but they did it easily and they seemed to have come out of their respective races in good order,” Brown said.

Brown said that Dacita, the Grade 1 Diana winner is being pointed to Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine. Dacita worked a half-mile in 49.04 seconds on dirt at Saratoga on Saturday,

Brown said he chose the Canadian over next month’s Grade 1 Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita for Dacita because “of the closer proximity to home.”

Back at Belmont, 3-year-old fillies Elysea’s World and Noble Beauty worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds Sunday and are both expected to start in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Sands Point at Belmont. Noble Beauty was elevated to first-place in the Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington on Aug. 13. Elysea’s World finished fourth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes in her most recent start.

Beach Patrol, who won the Grade 1 Secretariat last out, worked a half-mile in 50.06 seconds in company with the maiden Oiseau de Guerre.

Brown said Beach Patrol will train up to the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince on Oct. 8 while Oiseau de Guerre, beaten three-quarters of a length in his debut at Saratoga, will run in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim at Belmont on Oct. 1.

On Saturday, Gift Box, fourth in the Travers, worked a half-mile in 50.55 seconds. Brown said he is “possible” for the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 24.