Saratoga More to Royal Charlotte's Liking in Prioress
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Royal Charlotte wins the Prioress Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
The $242,500 Prioress Stakes (G2) turned out to be a tale of two racetracks—though, technically, it wasn't.
If you're wondering about that, then you probably didn't back the victorious Royal Charlotte in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies Aug. 31 over a Saratoga Race Course surface that suited her much better than her previous effort at the Spa.
When last seen Aug. 3, First Row Partners and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Royal Charlotte was sixth in Saratoga's Longines Test Stakes (G1), finishing 20 3/4 lengths behind while suffering her first loss after four wins to start her career.
As disappointing as that performance was, especially for a filly sent off at 2-1 odds, trainer Chad Brown noticed a difference in the racing surface at the historic Spa that prompted him to scrap plans for a brief rest until Keeneland opens and entered her in the Prioress.
"We took a shot. She didn't do any running in the Test and we were disappointed, but she didn't handle the track that day. I noticed in the last few weeks the track has really changed. Maybe it's the climate change because it rained and then cooled off. For whatever reason, the track has been playing completely different in the morning. … I see my horses getting a hold of it in a better way. It looked a little more demanding and looser at the beginning of the meet," Brown said. "I thought, why not give her another shot on a track that's playing completely different?"
Clearly, it was a different Royal Charlotte in Saturday's stakes. The daughter of Cairo Prince rallied from fourth in the small field of five, rushing past Break Even in the final furlong to score by 1 1/2 lengths while handing the 3-5 favorite her first loss in seven starts.
"This is better than my other win at the meet, a three-horse race in the mud on opening day," said owner Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds, which bought a share of Royal Charlotte prior to the Test and celebrated his first graded stakes victory Saturday. "I'm thankful I was given an opportunity to be a part of this filly. I have great partners. This was a nice turnaround from the last start."
A quick early pace also helped Royal Charlotte as Break Even sprinted clear through early fractions of :21.87 and :44.76 that caught up with Klein Racing's filly in the final furlong.
"I liked the way (Royal Charlotte) did it today," winning jockey Javier Castellano said. "The pace was hot, and I had Break Even as a target every step of the way. I tipped her outside and she finished strong. The way the race developed was great. It was a small field and they all grouped together, and we sat behind them and it paid off."
The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.45 as Royal Charlotte, who paid $11 to win, added a second graded victory.
"The owners were fine to throw her in there at the last minute, and she ran back to her Belmont Park race two starts back and that's what it took to win," said Brown, who is considering the Oct. 19 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland for the gray filly's next start.
Break Even, a daughter of Country Day who won the Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Derby City Gaming (G2) this year for trainer Brad Cox, had 2 1/2 lengths on Ghost Hollow Farm's Risky Mandate, who was third.
Bred in Kentucky by Rhineshire Farm out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Sass and Class, Royal Charlotte was a $70,000 RNA from the Vinery Sales consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She now has five wins in six starts, with earnings of $346,900. Her dam produced a 2017 Constitution colt purchased by Eddie Kenneally from Scanlon Training & Sales' consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-OIds in Training Sale, and has a Mineshaft yearling consigned by Vinery to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale as Hip 1796. She foaled a Liam's Map colt April 19, and has been bred to Connect .