Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Brown plans stretch-out for Robert Bruce in Joe Hirsch
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Robert Bruce, having taken care of business Saturday by winning the Arlington Million, was headed back to New York on Sunday for a fall campaign likely to focus on races over longer distances than the Million’s 1 1/4 miles.
The two major 1 1/4-mile older-horse turf races in North America are the Manhattan and the Million, and from here on out, it is either 1 1/2 miles or one mile for top-class older grass horses. Robert Bruce will take the longer route and be pointed for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over 1 1/2 miles on Sept. 29 at Belmont Park. The Chilean-bred import won the Million by a half-length over stablemate Almanaar, who is likely to be cut back in distance. Trainer Chad Brown’s pair were much the best Saturday; it was two lengths farther back to third-place finisher Century Dream, who was disqualified and placed fourth.
Among Robert Bruce’s four Group 1 wins in Chile was a two-length victory over 1 1/2 miles on turf.
“He has run that far back home,” said Brown, who won his second straight Million and third overall. “I think he’ll do it here, but I have to see how he trains first.”
Despite clocking 2:02.29 for 1 1/4 miles in the Million, a time 1.25 seconds slower than the 3-year-old Carrick’s winning time over the same distance earlier on the card in the Grade 1 Secretariat, Robert Bruce got a 104 Beyer Speed Figure, up from his numbers in two prior North American starts this year. Robert Bruce’s only loss from nine starts came in the Manhattan, where he raced in heavy traffic for much of the trip and didn’t find clear running until it was too late.
Since neither Robert Bruce nor his sire, Fast Company, is Breeders’ Cup-nominated, it would cost Robert Bruce’s connections $200,000 to make him a late Breeders’ Cup nominee this year. Such horses, if they’re from South America, can be nominated for $50,000 if a payment is made before July 15. Since that deadline has passed the Robert Bruce camp, if they have any interest at all in paying the fee, might as well wait until after the Joe Hirsch before deciding what to do.
Almanaar has done most of his racing between one mile and 1 1/8 miles, and while he stayed the 1 1/4 miles of the Million, Almanaar doesn’t look like an ideal 1 1/2-mile candidate.
“I’m not feeling a mile and a half for Almanaar,” said Brown.
“I always thought he was a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter. He may be able to cut back as much as a mile and be effective. He’s versatile enough, he has a really good turn of foot.”
Shadwell Farm owns Almanaar and happens to sponsor one of the major one-mile turf races of the fall, the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland in October.
Sistercharlie to Flower Bowl
Chad Brown has trained far more than his fair share of elite female turf horses, and Sistercharlie continues rising through those ranks.
Just three weeks after winning the Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga by a nose, Sistercharlie shipped halfway across the country and won the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes by a half-length on Saturday. Fourstar Crook, another Brown charge, finished second in the Beverly D. and is the only horse to beat Sistercharlie this year, handing her a narrow defeat in the New York Stakes on June 8 at Belmont, a race that unfolded in irregular fashion with a horse dashing off to a huge early lead at a breakneck tempo.
Sistercharlie won the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley over one mile at Keeneland in her first start of the year, so the Beverly D. was her third Grade 1 victory of 2018.
“She’s in that top, very selective group of the best turf mares I’ve had,” Brown said.
Brown’s four Beverly D. starters finished 1-2-3-5 in the race. Thais set a slow pace and held third, while Inflexibility was fifth behind Daddys Lil Darling. Sistercharlie got a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for running 1 3/16 miles in 1:56.77.
Sistercharlie prevailed despite being cut on her hind leg during the race, perhaps while bumping with Athena going past the finish line for the first time. The wound required stitches that will delay Sistercharlie’s return to regular training.
Brown said he plans to run Sistercharlie in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl over 1 1/4 miles on Oct. 7 at Belmont Park, then come back in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The 4-year-old Sistercharlie, owned by Peter Brant, was bred in Ireland but raced in France before being exported to the U.S. last summer. She finished second in the Belmont Oaks Invitational in her only North American start at age 3.
Fourstar Crook, who never runs a bad race, is likely to get another crack at Sistercharlie in the Flower Bowl. Sistercharlie got first run on Fourstar Crook, who never threatened the winner but was clearly second-best Saturday.