Coglianese / NYRA Photo Photo

Sistercharlie repeats in G1 Diana; Chad Brown wins race for fourth straight year

by Brian Bohl

Peter Brant’s reigning Champion Older Mare Sistercharlie made a successful return to the races, running down her stablemate and post-time favorite Rushing Fall in the final furlong to repeat as the winner in the $500,000 Diana, the first of 18 Grade 1 stakes slated for the summer meet, on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Sistercharlie, who won four Grade 1s last year, including a win by a nose over Ultra Brat in the Diana, gave trainer Chad Brown his fourth consecutive win in the race and fifth overall dating to 2011. The Irish-bred daughter of Myboycharlie headed a Brown-trained trifecta, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.93 for a 1 ¾-length score over 8-5 favorite Rushing Fall, who edged Homerique by a neck for second.

Brown, who saddled four of the six entrants in the 81st running of the Diana, saw his 38-1 longshot Thais surge to the front, going the opening quarter-mile in 22.10 seconds, the half in 45.90 and three-quarters in 1:11.51 over the inner turf labeled good.

Out of the final turn, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez set down Sistercharlie, who overtook Rushing Fall, piloted by fellow Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, from the outside with Homerique making a late bid even wider under Irad Ortiz, Jr. from the back of the pack.

Sistercharlie, off at 9-5, won her fourth consecutive start, all against Grade 1-foes, and successfully returned from an eight-month layoff after winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Churchill Downs.

“Another great performance from a great mare. She showed why she’s the best,” said Brown, who has also won the Diana with Lady Eli (2017), Dacita (2016) and Zagora (2011). “Peter made the decision to come back and race her another year. He’s a great sportsman and he loves seeing this horse run. We were going to start her campaign a little earlier in the year, and she got sick on us. We had to wait and he was very patient. She just hit all her works right leading up to this race.

“We had a nice pace setup from the stablemate and Johnny knows this mare so well,” he added. “He also did a great job. I loved where she was throughout the trip. I was worried she was going to be too far back coming off the layoff. She’s done that in some of her races where she was very far back. I was very comfortable where all my horses were on the backside. It set up as I expected with these three horses coming down the lane, particularly Sistercharlie more than likely running at Rushing Fall at the wire.”

Velazquez, who was been aboard for all seven of Sistercharlie’s starts since arriving from France in 2017, won his fifth Grade 1 aboard the millionaire, adding to her wins last year in the Jenny Wiley and Beverly D. in addition to a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 New York. In 2017, she ran second in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in her North American debut.

“She normally breaks slow. I made sure to get her a nice position passing the wire for the first time, making sure that the other horse didn’t put me in behind her,” Velazquez said. “Javier’s horse was the one to beat in my eyes and once I was behind him and relaxed where I thought was in a good position, I bided my time a little bit. By the three-eighths pole, it was time to go, and I know she takes a bit to get going, so I’d rather go wide and get her going than to stay behind the other horses and not get there. It was a great effort by her.”

Sistercharlie returned $5.80 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $2,850,603. Brown said she could target the Grade 1, $600,000 Beverly D. on August 10 at Arlington Park.

E Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Rushing Fall, a Grade 1 winner at ages 2, 3 and 4, was stretching out to the Diana’s distance for the first time since winning the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland. Brown said she could also target the Beverly D.

“She ran a good race as well,” Brown said. “A mile and an eighth may be stretching it for her, and she went all the way to the wire with Sistercharlie. It’s unfortunate one of them had to lose, but that’s the way I do it. I want the horses to run against each other. I don’t want any speculation on who might have won, I just like to let them settle it on the track. They are two great horses and I’m sure you’ll see more Grade 1 wins from Rushing Fall as well.”

The Brant-owned Homerique, a winner of her first two North American starts in the Grade 3 Beaugay in May and the Grade 2 New York in June at Belmont Park, earned blacktype in her Saratoga bow, finishing three lengths clear of Secret Message for third.

“It’s very special. We knew going into the race we had the top three choices, but then for all of them to run the way they did and finish one-two-three is remarkable,” Brown said.” It’s unfortunate any one of them had to lose. They all ran winning races, but that’s why we ran them. We wanted to settle it on the track.”

Mitchell Road and Thais completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, highlighted by the $100,000 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies going 5 ½ furlongs on the Mellon turf in Race 9. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.