Brown Will Fire Four Bullets in Flower Bowl
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Trainer Chad Brown will fire four bullets in the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl on Saturday at Belmont Park, led by last year's winner and $2.8 million earner Stephanie's Kitten.
The 1 ¼-mile Flower Bowl, for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on turf, is part of an action-packed Super Saturday at Belmont that is headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup and also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso and Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince.
Stephanie's Kitten, owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, will look to recapture the form that won her last year's edition of the Flower Bowl after taking a step back in 2015.
Through four starts this year, the daughter of Kitten's Joy has a win and a second-place finish to her credit, but disappointed in two starts on the NYRA circuit, finishing fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 New York at Belmont and fifth as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga. In her most recent start, the 6-year-old mare picked it up in the Grade 1 Beverly D. on August 15 at Arlington Park, finishing second via disqualification after uncorking a strong late run.
"I thought it was a solid performance last out. I think she should have at least been second and maybe would have won," Brown said of the interference Stephanie's Kitten endured in the Beverly D. "She's trained well all season but hasn't run as well as we had hoped. I think she'll really like the ground she gets in the Flower Bowl."
Stephanie's Kitten will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from the rail.
Beverly D. winner Watsdachances will go out for Brown and owners Michael Kisber, Bradley Thoroughbreds, and Nelson McMakin. The 5-year-old mare became a Grade 1 winner in her last start, the Beverly D., when she crossed the finish line second but was placed first due to the incident involving her stablemate. In two prior attempts in 2015, the daughter of Diamond Green won the Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico and finished second in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine.
"She's really had a beautiful campaign," said Brown. "Any time you have a horse place in a Breeders' Cup race at 2 and winning Grade 1's at 5, she's a rarity. She's a very talented horse and should also like the ground."
Watsdachances drew post 5 and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.
Brown will also send out Danza Cavallo and Regardez, who weren't initially considered for the race but will take a step up in class for the Mechanicville, N.Y. native.
Danza Cavallo is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga, while Regardez finished third in the Grade 3 Glens Falls at the Spa in her most recent outing.
"I entered Danza Cavallo and Regardez on late notice because of the ground," said Brown. "Conversely, I kept Dacita out of the race because she prefers firm ground. The way Danza Cavallo and Regardez are training up to the race, they both deserve a shot. They should relish the soft going and it's a good opportunity for them."
Owned by Michael Dubb, Sheep Pond Partners and Bethlehem Stables, Danza Cavallo will enlist the services of jockey Javier Castellano from outerpost 10. Regardez, a J. H. Richmond-Watson color-bearer, will break from post 2 with Joel Rosario in the irons.
The Brown quartet will face stiff competition from 3-year-old European raider Curvy, from the barn of trainer David Wachman. Curvy, owned by the Coolmore operation, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, in which she was beaten a half-length facing older foes for the first time.
Previously, the daughter of Galileo won the Group 3 Airlie Stud Gallinule and Group 2 Ribblesdale, as well as finished third in the Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks.
Curvy's regular rider Wayne Lordan will retain the mount, and the pair will break from post 8.
Rounding out the field are America, who will switch back to turf after finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; Mutatis Mutandis, a European import coming off a fourth-place finish in the Group 3 September at Kempton in Great Britain; and Distorted Beauty, a New York-bred filly from the barn of trainer Bruce Levine.
Rosalind, trained by Brown, and Tiz So Sweet, trained by Mott, are entered for the main track only.
Source: NYRA Communications
Source: NYRA Communications
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