Lady Montdore tests Grade 1 water in Flower Bowl

ELMONT, N.Y. – Lady Montdore, who has won both of her starts in the U.S., will step into Grade 1 company for the first time when she runs in the $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park next Sunday, trainer Tom Albertrani said this week.

“She doesn’t have any points to get into the Breeders’ Cup,” Albertrani said. “She’s training well. I don’t see any reason not to run her and give her every chance.”

Lady Montdore, a 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro owned by Godolphin Racing, won a first-level allowance race at Saratoga on Aug. 6. Though she suffered from heat distress after the race, she rebounded in time to run in the Grade 2 Glens Falls Handicap on Sept. 1, a race she won in front-running fashion by 2 1/4 lengths.

Both of Lady Montdore’s victories have come at 1 3/8 miles, the distance of the Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs. The Flower Bowl, which offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, is run at 1 1/4 miles.

There were 16 nominations to the Flower Bowl, with eight from the Chad Brown barn. Fourstar Crook is considered a definite from the Brown barn, but it is not certain who his other runners – if any – will be. Others expected to run include Danceland and possibly Savannah Belle and Tricky Escape.