By Alan Carasso
Royal Charlotte (Cairo Prince) lost her unbeaten record with an uncharacteristically dull performance in the GI Longines Test S. four Saturdays back, but atoned for that effort in no uncertain terms with an authoritative success in the GII Prioress S. In scoring by 1 1/2 lengths, she was lowering the colors of the previous unbeaten duo of odds-on Break Even (Country Day) (6-6) and Risky Mandate (Strong Mandate) (2-2).
Royal Charlotte was off without incident, but was beaten for speed by Break Even, who mustered through at the fence and covered her opening two furlongs in a smart :21.87. Traveling fresh and hard on the steel beneath Shaun Bridgmohan, Break Even raced well in hand as they turned for home and appeared she would take all the beating, even as the compact field passed the quarter pole in :44.87. Royal Charlotte followed the favorite's move into the lane and was angled out into the three path nearing the eighth pole, while Risky Mandate plugged along at one-pace down on the inside. Break Even was asked to extend soon after and carried the lead into the final 110 yards, but Royal Charlotte proved to be 'good' Charlotte on the day and raced right on past for the victory.
Royal Charlotte proved she didn't need to take her racetrack with her, as she won her first four starts over four different surfaces, including the May 27 Hystericalady S. at Monmouth ahead of a four-length tally in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. July 5. She was never a factor behind Covfefe (Into Mischief) in the Test, racing within striking distance of the pace for the opening half-mile before fading tamely to beat just one home.
“She didn't do any running in the Test, but she wasn't handling the track that day,” said trainer Chad Brown, winning the Prioress for the first time. “I just had noticed that the past couple of weeks the track has changed in the morning, and I think it might just be the climate. But for whatever reason, the track has been playing differently in the morning and I didn't have anywhere else to run her.”
Royal Charlotte is likely to make her next appearance in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland Oct. 19.
Pedigree Notes:
Royal Charlotte is one of two graded winners and five stakes winners for her successful young stallion, four of which descend from Storm Cat-line dams (two from mares by Harlan's Holiday, one each by Tale of the Cat and the other by the latter's son Tale of the Cat). Royal Charlotte is the first foal for her dam, whose 2-year-old son of Constitution fetched $135,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2YO In Training Sale. Sass and Class produced a Mineshaft colt last year, a colt by Liam's Map this season and was most recently bred to Connect.
Saturday, Saratoga
PRIORESS S.-GII, $242,500, Saratoga, 8-31, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:09.45, ft.
1–ROYAL CHARLOTTE, 122, f, 3, by Cairo Prince
1st Dam: Sass and Class, by Harlan's Holiday
2nd Dam: Extra Classy, by Allen's Prospect
3rd Dam: No Extra Charge, by Greinton (GB)
($70,000 RNA Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-First Row Partners and
Parkland Thoroughbreds; B-Rhineshire Farm LLC (KY); T-Chad
Brown; J-Javier Castellano. $137,500. Lifetime Record:
6-5-0-0, $346,900.
2–Break Even, 122, f, 3, Country Day–Exotic Wager, by Saint
Ballado. O-Klein Racing; B-Richard & Bert Klein (KY); T-Brad H.
Cox. $50,000.
3–Risky Mandate, 118, f, 3, Strong Mandate–Paying Off, by
Malibu Moon. O/B-Ghost Hollow Farms, LLC (KY); T-Thomas M.
Amoss. $30,000.
Margins: 1HF, 2HF, NK. Odds: 4.50, 0.70, 2.10.
Also Ran: Break Curfew, Kept True. Scratched: South of France.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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