Turf champions Sistercharlie, Uni work in company

ELMONT, N.Y. - Sistercharlie, the female turf champion of 2018, and Uni, the female turf champion of 2019, worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds Saturday morning over the Belmont Park turf course as they prepare for their 2020 debuts later this summer.

With Sistercharlie on the inside of Uni, the pair got their last quarter in 23.51 seconds while both were pretty much in hand. For Sistercharlie, it was her third work of the year - first on turf. For Uni, it was her sixth workout of the year, first since April 19. Uni missed some training time due to a popped splint bone, trainer Chad Brown said.

Uni has not run since winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile last November at Santa Anita. Sistercharlie has not run since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on that same card. Sistercharlie won the 2018 BC Filly and Mare Turf as part of her championship campaign.

Brown said provided neither one has a setback in their training, Sistercharlie would likely train up to the Grade 1 Diana at a to-be-determined date in July at Saratoga while Uni would point to the Grade 1 Just a Game on the June 20 Belmont Stakes card.

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“Uni had a little more work under her belt before she popped a splint and she’s a different type of horse - she’s like this little pint-sized keg of dynamite that keeps herself pretty fit,” Brown said Saturday. “Will she be exactly where I need her to be on Just a Game day? No, but she’s so talented and she takes good care of herself and she keeps herself pretty fit and she’s got that big turn of foot. It could be a case that she’s good enough to give it a good try anyway.”

Brown said Sistercharlie had bone bruising of her ankles following the Breeders’ Cup and her 2020 training schedule was delayed as a result.

“It probably took 60 days longer to resolve itself than we had hoped,” Brown said. “We wanted to be extra sure if we’re going to run her as a 6-year-old that she’s going to be fine.”

Brown worked several others on the turf Saturday morning, several of whom are gearing up for their North American debuts.

Flop Shot (sired by New Approach) and Delaware (Frankel), both Group 3-winning colts in Europe, worked five furlongs in 1:02.26. Flop Shot is pointing to Saturday’s Grade 2 Fort Marcy while Delaware is pointing to the First Defence on June 7.

Eliade, a listed stakes winner in Europe, went five furlongs in 1:00.84 with My Sister Nat, last year’s Grade 3 Long Island runner-up. Brown has not picked a spot for Eliade while My Sister Nat, a half-sister to Sistercharlie, will train up to the Grade 2 New York Stakes on June 27.

Viadera (Bated Breath), a listed stakes winner in Ireland, worked five furlongs in 1:00.25 in company with two-time graded winner Regal Glory. Both females are being pointed to Saturday’s Grade 3 Intercontinental along with Significant Form, who worked a half-mile Friday on dirt in 48.38 seconds.