Fourstar Crook rules Flower Bowl, final Breeders' Cup prep

Often in major turf races, the biggest competition presented to trainer Chad Brown’s runners are their stablemates. Fourstar Crook dodged enough of them Sunday to become a Grade 1 winner — and punch her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf — in Belmont Park’s $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., the 6-year-old daughter of Freud was much the best despite running from off a dawdling pace in the 1 1/4-mile feature.

"This horse ran super," Brown said. "We expected a short field and that the pace wouldn't be that strong, and it wasn't, but she was able to overcome it. She's a really consistent horse and she particularly likes Belmont. She ran to her odds.

"She seemed very deserving to finally win a Grade 1. When you look at who's she's beaten when she's not in Grade 1s, and who she's lost to by short margins, this filly is very deserving to finally achieve that and remarkable at age 6."

Now the New York-bred looms as a major threat in the Breeders’ Cup. Fourstar Crook entered with wins in two of her last four races. Both the defeats came to Sistercharlie, another Brown runner who’s training up to the Filly & Mare Turf.

Onthemoonagain — yes, trained by Brown — got up for second with Lady Montdore third.

The final time was 2:03.28 after Feeling Bossy was allowed to cruise to an opening quarter in 25.71 and the half in 51.72. She faded into the stretch, however, and a well-reserved Fourstar Crook then chased down Onthemoonagain for the easy win.

"She flew home," Ortiz Jr. said. "She was going so comfortable and when I asked, she just exploded."