Coglianese/Viola Jasko Photo

Fourstar Crook repels stablemate Sistercharlie to win G2 New York

by NYRA Press Office

Fourstar Crook took the lead from pacesetter Fahan Mura in midstretch and had just enough left to stave off a furious late rally from her stablemate, 1-2 favorite Sistercharlie, to win Friday's 75th edition of the Grade 2, $600,000 New York presented by NYRA Bets at Belmont Park.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., Fourstar Crook was content to race amid a tightly packed bunch as Fahan Mura shot to the fore and ran the opening quarter-mile in 23.12 as she opened up as many as 10 lengths on longshot Esquisse, who herself was 15 lengths ahead of Snowy Winter, running in third, and the rest. Fahan Mura and Esquisse still led by eight on the far turn, with the mile going in 1:34.56, but their lead began quickly evaporating as Fourstar Crook, Daddys Lil Darling and Mom's On Strike were revving up on the outside.

Once in the stretch, Ortiz, Jr. gave Fourstar Crook her cue and the 6-year-old mare surged to the lead leaving the furlong marker, hitting the wire a head in front of Sistercharlie, who was quickly closing from last after an eventful trip.

"The speed horses opened up way too much, so I didn't pay attention to that," said Ortiz. "I just rode my filly. She was comfortable, so I didn't try to do anything crazy. I kept her covered up, saving ground, like the owner and Chad wanted. I just rode my filly and she was there. I kept riding her and she held on. Sistercharlie was flying, but she held on."

Fourstar Crook, who gave trainer Chad Brown his fourth win on Day 2 of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, ran the 1 ¼ miles over a firm inner turf in 1:59.21.

"Fourstar Crook, hats off to her," said Brown. "[Owner] Michael Dubb deserves a lot of credit and his partners. Mike is the one who decided to race her at six which is not always the in thing to do and Mike loves this horse as do his partners. They are great partners, Mike Caruso [of Bethlehem Stable] and Gary Aisquith. They agreed to let us run her at six and they were rewarded today."

Sistercharlie was 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Daddys Lil Darling, who in turn was followed by Mom's on Strike, Holy Helena, Fahan Mura, Empressof the Nile, Esquisse, and Snowy Winter.

"Sistercharlie really had a nightmare trip," said Brown. "[She] walked out of the gate, looked like she was making a move up the inside at the three-eighths pole and then got steadied, moved back, then for her to make a run again and to only get beaten by a head, she really ran a remarkable race. Disappointing to see her getting knocked out of position after her run at Keeneland [winning the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley] where I thought she was very vulnerable at a mile and a sixteenth."

Second to Sistercharlie in the Jenny Wiley on April 14, New York-bred Fourstar Crook extended her record to an impressive 11-3-1 from 17 career starts and became a millionaire in the process, boosting her bankroll to $1,213,166 with the winner's purse of $330,000. Also among her stakes victories are the Grade 2 Hillsborough, the Grade 3 Dr. James Penney Memorial, the Yaddo, the Mount Vernon and two editions of the John Hettinger, the latter three for New York-breds.

She returned $10.80 for a $2 win bet.