Sister Dawn looking for a better break

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Sister Dawn had a four-race streak of top-three finishes rudely interrupted when the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28 started without her.

The filly broke slowly, never took her customary position near the front, and finished seventh of eighth.

For her comeback, in Thursday’s seventh race at Hollywood Park, Sister Dawn will be back on familiar territory – a turf sprint in Southern California.

“She didn’t break at Saratoga,” trainer John Sadler said. “We brought her home and gave her time to build back up.”

Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, Sister Dawn has won 2 of 7 starts and $88,107. She was third in the Grade 3 Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita in March and later won an optional claimer over five furlongs on turf against older fillies and mares at Del Mar on July 22. The experience of that race will serve Sister Dawn in Thursday’s race, which has drawn a solid field of eight 3- and 4-year-old fillies.

The field includes Miss Silver Brook, who was fifth behind Zenyatta in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap in her last start June 13; Terrify, who was second in the Bangles and Beads Stakes at Fairplex Park on Sept. 12; and Church Camp, who ran in two sprint stakes for 3-year-old fillies in the spring.

Miss Silver Brook is winless in five career starts on turf but is trained by Julio Canani, who is off to an excellent start at this meeting with three wins from his first five starters. Terrify was last of seven in the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap here Sept. 30.

Church Camp was fifth in the Santa Paula and eighth in the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 9, her most recent start. The loss in the Railbird does not look as bad, considering that runner-up Switch subsequently won two stakes and finished second to Zenyatta in the Grade 1 Lady’s Secret Stakes here Oct. 2.

“She was a little disappointing, but when you look at what she was running against, she was running against Switch last time,” trainer Brian Koriner said.

Koriner said Monday that Church Camp may need a start to be at her best.

“She’s always been a good work horse,” he said. “I’m not overly optimistic. A win would be nice.”