Stacelita is likely to use the Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) as a final prep for the Breeders' Cup, trainer Chad Brown said a day after the 5-year-old French-bred mare handily captured the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington Park Aug. 13.
Brown, winner of the Diana (gr. IT) July 30 and the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (gr. IIT) Aug. 12, continued his hot streak with Stacelita's 1 ¼-length triumph for owner Martin Schwartz. The Beverly D. was a "Breeders' Cup Challenge" race and earned Stacelita a berth in the Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs Nov. 4.
Brown said he and Schwartz decided the black daughter of Monsun will have one start beforehand, likely in the Flower Bowl at Belmont Park Oct. 1.
“We have already supplemented her (to the Breeders’ Cup),” said Brown. “We’ll run her one more time. (The Flower Bowl) will be the first choice. We’ve nominated her to a few spots, but the first choice would be the Flower Bowl.”
The Beverly D. was Stacelita’s second start in the United States and her first for Brown. She previously raced in France for Jean-Claude Rouget. earning group I wins in the 2009 Prix Saint-Alary and Prix de Diane (French Oaks), and the 2010 Prix Jean Romanet. She made one start in the United States for Rouget, finishing third against males in the United Nations (gr. IT) at Monmouth Park Aug. 13.
“She came in great shape from Rouget, no question,” said Brown. “We just put her in our program and went from there. She responded real well. Everything is a little different over there. They’re all a little different, the European horses.
"We have a standard program I learned under (Hall of Fame trainer Bobby) Frankel we put them in. Sometimes you have to customize it for this behavior or that behavior. But for the most part, we have a standard program for European horses. She did it quickly.”
The Beverly D. was part of a whirlwind day for Brown, who was at Saratoga on Saturday morning for workouts before he departed for Arlington. He was back at Saratoga by 9:45 p.m., he said.
“We were on the private jet of Mr. Schwartz,” said Brown, who added that Stacelita is to return to Saratoga on Monday. “We caught the tail wind flying back so it went a lot faster.”
