Civil Union Seeks First Grade 1 Victory in Flower Bowl

Allen Stable's Civil Union will look to build on her three-race win streak Oct. 10 at Belmont Park when she meets a field of familiar rivals in the $250,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf. 

Trained by Shug McGaughey, Civil Union enters the race off a win in the Sept. 5 Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course where she outkicked Chad Brown trainee My Sister Nat by one length going 1 3/8 miles. The stakes victory was the second for the 5-year-old War Front  mare. 

"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 on 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."

McGaughey is the only trainer other than Brown to have won the Flower Bowl since 2014. The Hall of Famer took the race with another daughter of War Front, War Flag, in 2017. Joel Rosario will have the call from post 3.

Peter Brant's My Sister Nat will look to improve on her Glens Falls performance. The Acclamation mare is one of three entrants for Brown, who has won five of the past six Flower Bowl Stakes.

My Sister Nat was a group stakes winner in her native France before arriving in the United States in 2019. She won her first graded stakes for Brown when edging Mrs. Sippy in the Aug. 8 Waya Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga. 

Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, My Sister Nat is a member of one of the more successful turf families in recent memory. The mare is a half sister to Sottsass, who won the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) last weekend for Brant at ParisLongchamp, and to champion turf mare Sistercharlie. 

Regular rider Jose Ortiz will be aboard My Sister Nat from post 2. 

Also conditioned by Brown is OXO Equine's Cambier Parc, who returned off an 11-month layoff to run second in the Canadian Stakes (G2T) Sept. 12 at Woodbine. 

A multiple graded stakes winner who took back-to-back grade 1s in the grass in 2019 in the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T) and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane's End (G1T), Cambier Parc will leave from the rail with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.

Brown will also send out Irish-bred graded stakes winner Nay Lady Lay, who enters off victories in the July 18 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park and the All Along Stakes Sept. 7 at Laurel Park.

The 4-year-old daughter of No Nay Never campaigned by First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm is 5-1 in eight starts. She earned her first graded stakes win at the end of 2019 when she rallied to win the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs. Irad Ortiz Jr. picks up the mount in the Flower Bowl from post 6.

Entries: Flower Bowl S. (G1T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 10, 2020, Race 8

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Inner turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:14 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cambier Parc (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Chad C. Brown	5/2
2	2My Sister Nat (FR)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	3/1
3	3Civil Union (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	Claude R. McGaughey III	3/1
4	4La Signare (FR)	Manuel Franco	122	Brendan P. Walsh	8/1
5	5Beau Belle (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Thomas Albertrani	12/1
6	6Nay Lady Nay (IRE)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	7/2
7	7Lovely Lucky (KY)	Jose Lezcano	122	Thomas Albertrani	10/1