Sistercharlie shows no rust off layoff in Diana triumph

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It’s like she never left.

Sistercharlie, the female turf champion of 2018 who hadn’t raced since last November, made a smashing return to the races Saturday at Saratoga, rallying powerfully down the center of the Saratoga’s inner turf course under John Velazquez to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths.

Sistercharlie didn’t run by just any horse. She flew by four-time Grade 1 stakes winner – and stablemate – Rushing Fall, who held second by a neck over Homerique as trainer Chad Brown runners finished 1-2-3 while he won his fourth straight Diana and fifth overall. The five wins tie Brown with Elliott Burch for most Diana wins by a trainer.

Secret Message finished fourth followed by Mitchell Road and Thais. The latter was also trained by Brown, but was used as a pace-maker.

The win was the eighth from 12 career starts for Sistercharlie, a 5-year-old Irish-bred mare by Myboycharlie owned by Peter Brant. Sistercharlie was making her first start since she won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last Nov. 3, 253 days ago.

“She’s just a very special horse, you get one like that in a lifetime and I’m fortunate enough to be associated with her,” Brant said.

Sistercharlie wintered in South Florida and was pointing to the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April. Sistercharlie got sick about a month before that race and Brown backed off the mare’s training. He had thought about trying to make the New York Stakes at Belmont, but didn’t feel she was quite up to that. The Diana then became the goal.

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Brown was able to get Sistercharlie ready by working her with some very talented horses in his own barn – most notably Rushing Fall, who had won eight of nine career starts.

“One of the advantages of having a bevy of good horses in this division, I get to work a lot of them together,” Brown said. “I had two Breeders’ Cup winners working weekly recently in Sistercharlie and Rushing Fall. They know each other well near the wire because they’ve been working in the morning together.”

Despite how talented Sistercharlie and Rushing Fall are, Brown put in an insurance policy in the Diana in Thais, whose goal was to make sure there was a legitimate pace in the race.

In a textbook use of a rabbit, Manny Franco sent Thais to the front and opened up a four-length lead after running a quarter in 22.10 seconds and half-mile in 45.90. Mitchell Road, who was up close after the first quarter, backed off to sit second.

Rushing Fall, under Javier Castellano was third, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Sistercharlie.

After six furlongs went in 1:11.51, Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie began to move in tandem toward the leaders. Rushing Fall, four wide, got first run on Sistercharlie, was who five wide. Rushing Fall struck the front inside the three-sixteenths pole but Sistercharlie ran her down inside the sixteenth pole to get the victory.

Sistercharlie covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.93 and returned $5.80 as the second choice behind Rushing Fall, whom Velazquez felt was the horse to beat.

“Once I was behind [Rushing Fall], I relaxed when I thought I was in a good position,” said Velazquez, who won a record sixth Diana. “From then on, I bided my time a little bit. At the three-eighths pole it’s time to go, she takes a little bit to get going. I’d rather go wide and get her going than just stay behind the other horse and not get there. Great effort by her.”

Brown said he was very comfortable where his horses were down the backside.

“It set up as I expected with these three horses coming down the lane, particularly with Sistercharlie more than likely running at Rushing Fall near the wire,” Brown said. “It’s unfortunate that any of three had to lose, they all ran races in their own right that would win many Dianas.”

Sistercharlie became the sixth horse to win consecutive Dianas, joining Forever Together, Glowing Honor, Hush Dear, Shuvee, Tempted, and Miss Grillo.

Sistercharlie will most likely bid for a repeat in the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington Park on Aug. 10. Homerique is likely headed there as well. Rushing Fall could make her next start in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa here on Aug. 24.