Sistercharlie delivers in Flower Bowl Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – As much of a sure thing as Sistercharlie looked to be on paper in Sunday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park, there was still something gnawing at trainer Chad Brown all afternoon.

“The thing I was thinking about today was her being 0 for 2 at Belmont, the only track she’s lost at in our care,” said Brown, acknowledging that both losses were by narrow margins.

Further, already on Sunday, the immortal Enable had her 12-race win streak snapped – one that included 10 Group 1 victories – when she finished second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

“You can’t ever take anything for granted no matter how good your horse is,” Brown said. “It’s horse racing and you have to go out there and run the races from start to finish. Anything can happen.”

Nothing untoward happened to Sistercharlie on Sunday as she got the pace assist she needed from stablemate Thais and rallied from 14 lengths off the pace under John Velazquez to win the Flower Bowl by three-quarters of a length over a late-running and game Mrs. Sippy. It was 2 1/2 lengths back to Thais in third. She was followed by Lantiz, Beau Belle, Ferdinanda, and Empressof the Nile.

It was the sixth straight Grade 1 stakes victory for Sistercharlie and puts her in position to seek a second straight victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 2. The Flower Bowl was a Win and You’re In race for the Filly and Mare Turf.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s top contenders

“She did everything she needed to do today,” Brown said, in summing up Sistercharlie’s performance.

Though the turf was labeled firm, it was loose on top, according to Velazquez, who said at times it was hard to keep Sistercharlie in a rhythm over that type of ground.

Velazquez also made a middle move to from 14 1/2 lengths off the pace to 7 1/2 lengths back between the opening half and opening three-quarters of a mile while Thais opened up a huge margin through modest fractions under Manny Franco.

“I just didn’t feel like they were going fast,” Velazquez said. “The two horses in front of me, they just kept slowing down, and obviously my entrymate opened up but I didn’t feel like they were going fast enough. She’s on the bridle and she’s never on the bridle. She’s pulling, so I don’t want to be yanking on her mouth, so I let her be where she was comfortable.”

Sistercharlie made a gradual move into contention and in upper stretch went past Beau Belle, who had been racing second, and just had Thais to catch. It took until the sixteenth pole to collar Thais and then Sistercharlie had to hold off a bid from Mrs. Sippy.

Sistercharlie, a 5-year-old daughter of Myboycharlie owned by Peter Brant, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.21 and returned $2.40 as the 1-5 favorite.

“She was winless at Belmont until today, a case could be made it might not be her favorite course, she nevertheless ran great today,” Brown said. “I thought the runner-up was impressive. She tracked her the whole way and really made her run in the stretch.”

Sistercharlie added the Flower Bowl to earlier season victories in the Diana and Beverly D. and will now look to wrap up a second straight Eclipse Award as champion female turf horse in the Breeders’ Cup. Brown said if Thais can get into the field, he believes Brant would want to run her in the race as well “to ensure pace.”

Mrs. Sippy, who won the Grade 2 Glens Falls at Saratoga in her first start for trainer Graham Motion, likely earned a shot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf with her second-place finish Sunday.

“Look, she got within a length of her here, I think you have to consider taking a shot,” Motion said. “It’ll be her third race back off a break. It makes sense.”