flower bowl stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Allen Stable's homebred Civil Union worked a half-mile in 51 seconds flat in company with older allowance horse Sentry on the inner turf Sunday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in preparation for Saturday's Grade 1, $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“The company carried her along,” said Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. “She worked good. She's gotten better and better and stronger and stronger.”

The 5-year-old War Front mare extended her streak to four wins with a head score last out in the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl Invitational. The turf specialist arrived at the 10-furlong Widener turf test on a winning run-of-form that launched in a June 21 allowance tilt at Belmont and continued through scores in the 12-furlong River Memories on July 12 at Belmont and the 11-furlong Grade 2 Glens Falls at Saratoga.

Racing from sixth position early under Joel Rosario in the Flower Bowl, Civil Union advanced gamely to notch a narrow head score over Filly and Mare Turf-rivals My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay.

McGaughey said Civil Union, who ran second in a turf allowance in October 2018, in her lone Keeneland start, has the ability to be tactical if needed.

“In the Flower Bowl she was back a little further than usual,” said McGaughey. “If she gets a decent post and breaks good and depending what some of the others do, I know Joel will have her where he wants her to be. She's pretty versatile. She can settle in behind or if she needs to be up close she can be up close.”

The post ‘She’s Gotten Better And Better’: Civil Union Preps For Filly & Mare Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Joseph Allen's homebred Civil Union, a 5-year-old mare by War Front, surged to the lead in deep stretch under Joel Rosario and held off a fast-finishing My Sister Nat to win Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Victory in the 1 1/4-mile turf fixture for fillies and mares earned Civil Union a fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf as part of the Win and You're In Challenge Series. The Breeders' Cup will be held at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 6-7.

Trained by Shug McGaughey, Civil Union was timed in 2:01.28 for the 10 furlongs on firm turf and paid $8.10 for the win. Chad Brown, who's trained five of the last six Flower Bowl winners and six overall, took the next three positions, with My Sister Nat second, Nay Lady Nay third and Cambier Parc fourth in the field of seven.

Civil Union had only My Sister Nat beat in the early going as longshot Lovely Lucky set the pace – under intermittent pressure from Cambier Parc – through fractions of :24.62, :48.93 and 1:14.36 for the first six furlongs.

Rosario moved Civil Union into contending position along the rail heading toward the far turn, with Jose Ortiz opting for the overland route aboard My Sister Nat.

Turning into the stretch, after a mile in 1:38.27, Cambier Parc poked her head in front as Lovely Lucky fought back along the rail. Rosario switched off the rail aboard Civil Union and found a seam to the outside of Cambier Parc, and began their drive for the wire.

Ortiz was forced to go wide into the stretch, making a bold but belated run with My Sister Nat in deep stretch but ran out of ground.

The win was the fifth from eight starts and the first in a Grade 1 race for Civil Union, produced from the Unbridled's Song mare, Photograph, the latter a granddaughter of Andover Way, a G1 winner for Allen who was the dam of successful sire Dynaformer. Andover Way's grandam is Darby Dan Farm foundation mare Golden Trail.

The post Civil Union Earns Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Berth With Hard-Fought Flower Bowl Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post