War Front’s Civil Union Finishes Fastest in Flower Bowl

The 3-1 third choice in a field of seven, Joseph Allen’s progressive Civil Union (War Front) built on her last-out success in the GII Glens Falls S. at Saratoga with a breakthrough top-level tally in Saturday’s GI Flower Bowl S. at Belmont Park, securing a berth in the gate for the GI Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the process.

Allowed to settle last but one beneath Joel Rosario, with only G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr})’s French and American Group 3/Grade III winner My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) behind her, Civil Union was content to bide time from a ground-saving position as longshot Lovely Lucky (Lookin At Lucky) set a modest pace in advance of favored Cambier Parc (Medaglia d’Oro). Always traveling sweetly, Civil Union was short of room entering the final 2 1/2 furlongs, but accelerated three off the inside once La Signare (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) vacated that spot. With one of the best finishers in the business at the controls, Civil Union came calling for the lead nearing the sixteenth pole and was home first as My Sister Nat attacked the line down the center of the course. Nay Lady Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never), who was relegated to second favoritism in the last few clicks of the tote, could not quite match strides with the top two and settled for third, one spot ahead of a disappointing Cambier Parc.

It was the second Flower Bowl win in the last four years for Allen, trainer Shug McGaughey and War Front, whose daughter War Flag landed the spoils at 9-1 in 2017 before finishing a respectable sixth behind Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar.

“When she started off this winter in Florida, I never imagined that she would be a Grade 1 winner,” the Hall of Fame conditioner admitted. “She’s progressed the right way. It’s fun. She’s a nice mare to train and nice to be around. She ran under some different tactics today on Joel [Rosario’s] part, but that’s why he’s such a great rider. He knows what to do.”

A debut winner from three starts for the Chad Brown barn in 2018 and 2019, Civil Union took a course-and-distance allowance in her second appearance for this barn ahead of a facile score in the 12-furlong River Memories S. July 12. With Rosario in the irons for the first time in the Sept. 5 Glens Falls, Civil Union sat handy to a walking pace, then covered her final three furlongs in a smart :34.97 to best My Sister Nat by a length.

Pedigree Notes:

Civil Union becomes the 23rd Grade I/Group 1 winner for her Claiborne-based stallion and is the 25th top-level scorer out of a daughter of the late Unbridled’s Song, three of which–Contrail (Jpn) and Volatile–have come this season.

Photograph is an unraced daughter of Black Speck, whose produce include the aforementioned War Flag as well as the former G2 UAE Derby hero Lines of Battle (War Front), who won the G1 Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong (then named Helene Super Star) en route to honors as that jurisdiction’s champion stayer. Civil Union’s third dam produced influential sire Dynaformer (Roberto) as well as the dam of GISW sire Offlee Wild (Wild Again).

A full-sister to the 2-year-old colt Battle of Britain, Civil Union has a weanling full-brother named Operation Torch. Having produced her first eight foals by War Front, Photograph was most recently bred to Tapit.

Saturday, Belmont Park
FLOWER BOWL S.-GI, $250,000, Belmont, 10-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.28, fm.
1–CIVIL UNION, 124, m, 5, by War Front
1st Dam: Photograph, by Unbridled’s Song
2nd Dam: Black Speck, by Arch
3rd Dam: Andover Way, by His Majesty
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Allen Stable Inc; B-Joseph Allen LLC (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Joel Rosario. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 8-5-1-1, $396,810. *Full to War Dispatch, GSW & G1SP-Fr, $765,320; and George Patton, GSP-Fr, $105,521. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Sister Nat (Fr), 122, m, 5, by Acclamation (GB)
1st Dam: Starlet’s Sister (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Premiere Creation (Fr), by Green Tune
3rd Dam: Allwaki, by Miswaki
(€20,000 Ylg ’16 ARQFEB). O-Peter M Brant; B-Ecurie Des Monceaux (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000.
3–Nay Lady Nay (Ire), 122, f, 4, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Lady Ederle, by English Channel
2nd Dam: Bright Generation (Ire), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: New Generation (Ire), by Young Generation (Ire)
(€44,000 Wlg ’16 GOFNOV; €50,000 Ylg ’17 GOFOR; $210,000 2yo ’18 OBSMAR). O-First Row Partners & Hidden Brook Farm; B-Stephen Sullivan (IRE); T-Chad C Brown. $30,000.
Margins: HD, 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 3.05, 5.20, 2.90.
Also Ran: Cambier Parc, La Signare (Fr), Beau Belle, Lovely Lucky.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Civil Union Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Saturday’s Flower Bowl

The top-four finishers in the Grade 2 Glens Falls last month at Saratoga Race Course will each vie for supremacy again in Saturday's rematch that highlights the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/4 miles on the Belmont Park inner turf.

Allen Stable's Civil Union, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, outkicked the Chad Brown trainee My Sister Nat by one length in the Glens Falls going 1 3/8 miles on Sept. 5. The two will renew acquaintances in the 43rd running of the Flower Bowl, which serves as a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

In total, Saturday's 11-race card features five graded stakes, including the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for juveniles; the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette offering the same Breeders' Cup entry for juvenile fillies and the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies on the turf. Taking center stage will be the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up with a spot in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic awarded to the victor.

The only trainer besides Brown to capture the Flower Bowl since 2014 is McGaughey, who won with War Flag in 2017. Civil Union, a 5-year-old War Front mare, has won three in a row, starting with a 1 ¼-mile allowance tilt on the Belmont turf on June 21 before winning the River Memories on the same track going 1 1/2 miles on July 12.

“I think she's a nice filly and she's learned to put it all together,” McGaughey said. “We've been able to space her races in a good way and we'll see if she moves it up the next notch. She'll run as far as you want to run her.”

Originally trained by Brown, Civil Union is 3-0-1 in four starts in 2020 for McGaughey, with all of her efforts coming over firm turf.

“Most of the War Fronts like the firm turf,” McGaughey said. “I think she likes this big race track at Belmont, too. She liked Saratoga and ran good there, but I think everything is coming together with her and I'm hoping it comes together Saturday.”

Joel Rosario will have the call from post 3.

Peter Brant's My Sister Nat is one of three entrants for Brown, who has won five of the last six Flower Bowl runnings. The 5-year-old Acclamation mare, who was a group stakes winner in her native France before arriving in the United States in 2019, won her first graded stakes for Brown by edging Mrs. Sippy by a neck in the Grade 3 Waya going 1 1/2 miles on the Spa turf on Aug. 8. That effort netted her a personal-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure setting up her competitive second to Civil Union in her last start.

Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, his half-brother Sottsass captured the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triumphe last weekend at France's Longchamp.
Jose Ortiz will ride My Sister Nat for the fifth consecutive race, breaking from post 2.

OXO Equine's Cambier Parc returned off an 11-month layoff to run second behind Rideforthecause in the Grade 2 Canadian going 1 1/8 miles on the Woodbine turf on Sept. 12.

The well-deserved rest leading into that race was given after a 2019 season in which she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks one start after running third in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks. In October 2019, she followed with a victory in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, ending her year on a high note.

Cambier Parc will look to start her 4-year-old campaign 2-for-2, exiting the inside with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.

Brown will also send out Irish-bred graded stakes winner in Nay Lady Lay, who enters off victories in the Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 18 at Belmont Park and the All Along on Sept. 7 at Laurel Park.

The 4-year-old No Nay Never filly, owned by First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm, is 5-1 in eight career starts. She ended her 2019 with her lone graded stakes win, rallying from seventh to win the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. picks up the mount from post 6.

Trainer Tom Albertrani will send out a pair of contenders in Mark Anderson's Beau Belle and Elizabeth Mateo's Lovely Lucky, who ran third and fourth, respectively, in the Glens Falls last out.

Beau Belle will be making her 24th career start. The 5-year-old Giant's Causeway daughter was third in her previous appearance at Belmont in the River Memories.

“She's training well and came out of the race fine,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, we can just step up a little bit and make up a couple of lengths. She didn't get beat very far. She tries hard every time she runs and she's always right there.”

Beau Belle did not make her graded stakes debut until her 4-year-old year and in her 11th start overall. After winning her first start in her 15th career race in July 2019, Albertrani said she started to figure things out.

“It took her awhile to break her maiden but once she did, it looks like she just started going forward from there,” Albertrani said. “She's matured and she got a little older and a little better.”

Luis Saez will be in the irons on Saturday, drawing post 5.

Lovely Lucky broke her maiden at fifth asking – and in her second career turf start- in June 20 over the Belmont grass before besting allowance company going 1 3/8 miles on the Saratoga turf on July 24. After running fourth in her graded stakes debut in the Glens Falls, Jose Lezcano will retain the mount from post 7.

Lovely Lucky made her first three starts on the main track before Albertrani moved her to turf to start 2020. She has won two of four starts since, including a 6 3/4-length score against allowance company going 1 3/8 miles on July 24 at Saratoga.

“She's also doing well. Ever since we stretched her out, she's shown she can be a competitive filly in these longer races,” Albertrani said. “I thought she ran well in the Glens Falls. She was a bit keen early on, so hopefully Saturday she'll settle a little bit and hopefully make up more ground.

“She was really impressive her first start at Saratoga,” he added. “That race was an eye-opener. We put her in the deep end in the Glens Falls but she ran quite well and wasn't beaten that far.”

La Signare won the Grade 3 Wonder Again last year and was third in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on Sept. 5 at Churchill. Since taking over the training duties last fall, Brendan Walsh has conditioned the French bred to a win in the Sand Springs on March 28 at Gulfstream and a strong runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Mint Julep in May at Churchill Downs.

Manny Franco will be aboard La Signare from post 4.

Saturday's card will feature a 12:20 p.m. Eastern first post. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Five Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races At Longchamp On Sunday’s Arc Card

Breeders' Cup Ltd., and France Galop are once again proud to announce that five Group 1 races at ParisLongchamp for the world-renowned Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day on Oct. 4 will be part of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid for corresponding races in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.

The 1 ½-mile Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is the centrepiece of the international spectacle on the ParisLongchamp program. For the second consecutive year, the winner of Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will receive an automatic berth into the US$4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), which will also be run at 1 ½ mile at Keeneland. Prince Khalid Abdullah's Enable (GB) became the first horse to win the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year, which she accomplished in 2018.

Top turf sprinters will be in action in the 5-furlong Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, with the winner receiving a “Win and You're In” position into the 5 ½ furlongs, US$1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

An automatic berth into the 1 3/16-mile, US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) will be awarded to the winner of the 1 ¼-mile Prix de l'Opéra Longines.

There will also be two “Win and You're In” races for 2-year-olds on the Arc day program. The 7-furlong Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère will give the winner a free placement into the 1-mile, US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and the winner of the 1-mile Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, for 2-year-old fillies, will earn an automatic starting position into the 1-mile, US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

“We are extremely pleased to partner again with the great teams of France Galop and ParisLongchamp, who each year host international Thoroughbred racing at the highest level,” said Dora Delgado, Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer. “To align the Breeders' Cup World Championships with these prestigious races on the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day program provides a clear path for Europe's finest horsemen, and we look forward to their participation in the World Championships at Keeneland Race Course.”

“Once again this year, France Galop is delighted to associate five Group1 races from this Sunday's program with the Breeders'Cup Challenge Series 2020. The winners of the most prestigious races of the weekend of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will have the chance to automatically qualify to run to one other International largest thoroughbred racing weekend in the world, the Breeders'Cup World Championship”, said Olivier Delloye, France Galop Chief Executive.

As part of the enhanced benefits to horsemen competing in the series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for winners of all Challenge races. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards, and those rewards must be used in the year they are earned.

Breeders' Cup also will provide a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America.

The five Arc day races are among the seven total Breeders' Cup Challenge races in France this year.

Two “Win and You're In” races were held at Deauville. On Aug. 16, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's 3-year-old Palace Pier won the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) and earned an automatic berth into the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1). On Aug. 23, Stonestreet Stables' 2-year-old filly Campanelle (IRE) captured the Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville and secured a free starting position into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2).

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Stablemates Uni, Newspaperofrecord Headline ‘Win And You’re In’ First Lady

Trainer Chad Brown is well represented in the Grade 1 First Lady, a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 7.

The First Lady is one of five graded stakes on Saturday's 11-race program at Keeneland that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET, and will go as Saturday afternoon's eighth race at Keeneland, with a 4:51 p.m. post time.

Robert LaPenta, Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners and Bethlehem Stables' Uni (GB), the champion grass mare of 2019, will try to become the first repeat winner of the First Lady as she headlines a field of six.

Uni used the First Lady last year as a springboard to victory over the boys in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. She finished seventh as the favorite in her most start in the Fourstardave (G1) against males at Saratoga and prior to that was third in the Just a Game (G1) to stablemate and First Lady rival Newspaperofrecord (IRE).

Owned by Klaravich Stables, Newspaperofrecord will be making her Keeneland debut. Winner of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs, Newspaperofrecord finished second in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Joel Rosario will ride Uni and break from post five. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Newspaperofrecord and break from post four.

Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing's Beau Recall (IRE) turned the tables on Newspaperofrecord in the Distaff Turf Mile after finishing second to her in the Just a Game. Trained by Brad Cox, Beau Recall will break from post position one and be ridden by Julien Leparoux.

The field for the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare, from the inside with riders, is: Beau Recall (IRE) (Leparoux), Dalika (GER) (Luis Saez), Daddy Is a Legend (James Graham), Newspaperofrecord (IRE) (Gaffalione), Uni (GB) (Rosario) and Crystal Lake (Joe Talamo). All starters will carry 124 pounds.

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