Sistercharlie

What Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind) may have 'lacked' in class entering a clash with champion Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in Saturday's GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga was potentially mitigated by the fact that she was always going to hold a tactical advantage--positionally--given the likely shape of the race. When the dust had settled after 8 1/2 furlongs, the blue-collar Florida-bred took full advantage to cause a minor upset, as Sistercharlie could only finish a one-paced third. While Thais (Fr) (Rio de la Plata) parlayed pacemaker duties--bar the GI Breeders'...

Trainer Chad Brown has won the last three runnings of the GII Ballston Spa S. and five of the last eight and he's likely to add to those totals when he sends out champion Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) Saturday afternoon at Saratoga. Never worse than fourth in her 15 career appearances, the Peter Brant colorbearer defeated her favored stablemate Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in defense of her title in the GI Diana S. about this time last year and became the first in history to win the GI Beverly...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--While most everything looks and feels different at spectator-less Saratoga Race Course this summer, trainer Chad Brown has maintained standard form. Brown has won three of the last four meet training titles--in 2019 by a whopping 20 victories over Todd Pletcher--and led the standings through the first four days of the 40-day season. It is pretty much standard Saratoga stuff for Brown, 41, who grew up about 17 miles away in the small city of Mechanicville and was schooled in the sport at the historic track. Brown won...

It won't take long for the stars to come out at the abbreviated Belmont spring/summer meet, as multiple Grade I winners Got Stormy (Get Stormy) and Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) headline a stout six-horse field in Wednesday's opening-day feature at Big Sandy, the GIII Beaugay S. Third at 21-1 behind Rushing Fall in the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. last spring at Keeneland, Gary Barber's Got Stormy developed into a turf terror over the summer, capturing the De La Rose S. Aug. 3 at Saratoga and famously coming back...

The finalists for the 12 equine and five human divisions for the 49th annual Eclipse Awards were released Saturday morning, with GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway), GI Breeders' Cup Sprint victor Mitole (Eskendereya) and, in a bit of an upset, Maximum Security (New Year's Day) set to fight out the night's top honor as 2019 Horse of the Year. Heavily favored to take home the hardware for champion turf male, Bricks and Mortar was stellar in putting together a perfect six-for-six season in 2019. The...

In our last podcast of the year, host Joe Bianca, Jon Green, Bill Finley, and Alan Carasso host Green Group Guest of the Week Peter Brant, who talks about his decision to keep Sistercharlie in training in 2020. The writers also cover the year in review, their favorite races, and the tumultuous events of 2019.

In the space of a fortnight, Shadai Stallion Station lost its two flagship stallions, Deep Impact (Jpn) on July 30, and King Kamehameha (Jpn) on Aug.10. The pair won back-to-back runnings of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in 2004 and 2005. A year older than Deep Impact at 18, King Kamehameha had been pensioned earlier this year and his legacy at stud was outlined by Kelsey Riley in Saturday's TDN. Losing two such heavyweights in the same year is doubtless a blow to Shadai but in Japan's stallion table for...

Champion and win machine Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) looms large as she looks to defend her title in an expected seven-horse renewal of Saturday's GI Beverly D. S., the first of three Grade Is at Arlington. A winner of three of four to start her career in France, the bay earned a trip to America with a second at 12-1 in the G1 Prix de Diane Longines two summers ago. Since then, she's a neck and a head from being undefeated in seven U.S. starts, all except one coming at...

Peter Brant's Eclipse Award winner Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) is one of eight pre-entries for and looks to become the first in the 30-year history to win the GI Beverly D. S. more than once when she lines up in the 9 1/2-furlong heat at Arlington Park Aug. 10. Trainer Chad Brown, who has sent out the winner of the Beverly D. for four consecutive years, is also set to be represented by GI American Oaks winner Competitionofideas (Speightstown) as well as Brant's Thais (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), a...