By Alan Carasso
Peter Brant's Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) looms the skinniest of prices as she looks to punch her ticket to a title defense in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in Sunday's 'Win and You're In' GI Flower Bowl S. at Belmont Park.
Having trained up to the Breeders' Cup following her victory in the 2018 GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington, Sistercharlie was kept in the bubble wrap and saved for the second half of the season, and the 5-year-old picked up where she left off, displaying her trademark late turn of foot to best her stable companion and 'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) to win Saratoga's GI Diana S. for the second consecutive season July 13. Hammered into 2-5 favoritism to become the first to register multiple victories in the Beverly D., the bay once again lagged well behind the pace set by her rabbit Thais (Fr) (Rio de la Plata) and when John Velazquez cut the ribbons entering the final three-eighths of a mile, the response was devastating, as she rolled home late to score by three lengths.
Graham Motion saddles the two turf distaffers who can threaten Sistercharlie in even a small way. Mrs. Sippy (Blame), good enough to run the ill-fated 2018 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Sea of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to two lengths in listed company in England last spring, made her stateside debut in the GII Glens Falls S. and was the recipient of a crafty ride from Joel Rosario, who was able to save all the ground and reserve enough energy to punch through late en route to a 3/4-length defeat of stablemate Empressof the Nile (Pioneer of the Nile). In addition to her performance against Sea of Class, Mrs. Sippy–previously trained by David Simcock–was a listed winner in France and narrowly missed in Group 3 company in England.
Empressof the Nile was a Saratoga allowance winner over a mile and three-sixteenths Aug. 1 prior to her career-best effort in the Glens Falls.
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