Turf War Gets First Stakes Win in Christiecat
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Turf War (outside) gets up to win the Christiecat Stakes by a neck at Belmont Park
Kicking off opening day of the Belmont Park fall meet Sept. 6, Martin Schwartz's Turf War scored her first stakes win when she rallied from last of eight to run down Brooke Marie in deep stretch and prevail by a neck in the six-furlong, $100,000 Christiecat Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Turf War entered her Belmont debut with respective third- and fourth-place finishes against allowance company this summer at Saratoga Race Course after starting her career in France. On a rain-soaked afternoon, the War Front filly stayed off the early speed as 2-1 favorite Saint Moon led the field through an opening quarter-mile in :21.87 and the half in :44.82 on the yielding inner turf.
Out of the turn, the Christophe Clement-trained Brooke Marie overtook Saint Moon from the outside as Turf War, under jockey Joel Rosario, was tipped out wide and made a late charge in picking off six opponents one-by-one before edging Brooke Marie in the final jumps, hitting the wire in 1:09.99.
Off at 8-1, Turf War returned $19.60, $8.40, and $4.50 and more than doubled her career earnings to $99,057.
"She was sitting comfortably. It looked like they were going quick up front, and she came with a run and got the money," Rosario said.
Chad Brown, who won the H. Allen Jerkens Award as the Saratoga meet's leading trainer, picked up the first stakes win of the Belmont meet.
Brooke Marie, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid , earned a black-type placing for the first time in three stakes starts, finishing 3 1/2 lengths clear of stablemate and German-bred Rose Flower for second.
"I had a great trip right behind the speed," said Brooke Marie's jockey, Junior Alvarado. "I waited as long as I could, and when we turned for home, I asked her. She responded well but got a little late at the end. She ran a great race, but we were second-best today."
The Christiecat was the first of 45 stakes worth a total $11.525 million in purse money for the 37-day meet, which will offer seven Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" qualifiers.