Sistercharlie Comes Through at Short Odds in Flower Bowl

Sistercharlie won her sixth straight Grade I event with an authoritative one-length victory over GII Glens Falls S. heroine Mrs. Sippy in the GI Flower Bowl S. at Belmont Park Sunday. Sistercharlie was unhurried and allowed to settle into stride as her pacesetting stablemate Thais quickly sprinted out to the early lead. Thais opened a clear advantage, but set only moderate splits of :24.21 and :49.17 as the field was content to let the rabbit run loose on the lead. Thais was some 10 lengths in front entering the far turn, while Sistercharlie was one of a trio of runners set to strike. The champion swept up three wide into the lane and reeled in her stablemate before gliding clear to the wire as Mrs. Sippy closed well, but never looked a serious challenge to the winner.

“We're very lucky to have her,” trainer Chad Brown said of the winner. “She did everything she needed to do. She was 0-for-2 at Belmont going in. Even though it was only by short margins both times to two other of our nice horses, she was nevertheless winless here. The case could be made that this isn't her favorite course, but she got the job done.”

Sistercharlie, winner of last year's GI Jenny Wiley S., GI Diana S., and GI Beverly D S., capped her 2018 championship season with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf. In two previous starts this term, the bay mare repeated in both the July 13 Diana and Aug. 10 Beverly D.

Of Sistercharlie's return engagement in the Breeders' Cup, Brown added, “We're pretty confident as long as she stays healthy. I don't think we've reached the bottom of her. Some of the setbacks that she's had have been a bit disappointing, but it's kept her fresh so it really goes both ways.”

Pedigree Notes:

Sistercharlie's half-brother Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), also campaigned by Peter Brant, was third in Sunday's G1 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe. Brant purchased Sottsass for €340,000 at the 2017 Arqana August Yearling Sale. He returned to that auction last summer and paid €400,000 for a half-brother by Charm Spirit (Ire), now named Radiant Child (Ire). David Redvers purchased Starlet Sister's yearling colt by Fastnet Rock (Aus) for €700,000 in Deauville this August. The 10-year-old mare, a half-sister to multiple Group 1 placed Anabaa's Creation (Ire) (Anabaa) and a full to group winner Leo's Starlet (Ire), produced a filly by Dubawi (Ire) this year.

Sunday, Belmont Park
FLOWER BOWL S.-GI, $501,000, Belmont, 10-6, 3yo/up, f/m,
1 1/4mT, 2:02.21, fm.
1–SISTERCHARLIE (IRE), 123, m, 5, by Myboycharlie (Ire)
1st Dam: Starlet's Sister (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Premiere Creation (Fr), by Green Tune
3rd Dam: Allwaki, by Miswaki
(€12,000 Ylg '15 AR15). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Ecurie Des
Monceaux (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown; J-John R. Velazquez.
$275,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Turf Female, 14-10-3-0,
$3,482,003. *1/2 to Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), G1SW-Fr,
$1,093,257; and My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), GSW-
Fr, $118,972. Werk Nick Rating: B+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mrs. Sippy, 121, f, 4, by Blame
1st Dam: Qushchi (GB), by Encosta de Lago (Aus)
2nd Dam: La Persiana (GB), by Daylami (Ire)
3rd Dam: La Papagena (GB), by Habitat
O/B-Andrew Stone (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $100,000.
3–Thais (Fr), 119, m, 5, by Rio de La Plata
1st Dam: Tianshan (Fr), by Lahint
2nd Dam: Tangshan, by Zilzal
3rd Dam: Manzanares, by Sir Ivor
(€140,000 RNA Ylg '15 AR15). O-Peter M. Brant; B-G. & Mrs. G.
Sandor (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 5.20, 12.40.
Also Ran: Lantiz, Beau Belle, Ferdinanda, Empressof the Nile. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.