Fourstar Crook Gets Her Grade 1 in Flower Bowl Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Fourstar Crook wins her first grade 1 in the Flower Bowl at Belmont Park
Fourstar Crook was done conceding the spotlight to others—especially those in her own barn.
In her fourth try against grade 1 company, the New York-bred daughter of Freud picked up the top-level win that had eluded her with a last-to-first victory over stablemate Onthemoonagain in the $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) Oct. 7 at Belmont Park, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).
Sunday's victory was an especially deserving one for 6-year-old Fourstar Crook, a most honest member of trainer Chad Brown's turf arsenal who had been plagued by three near misses in the past 12 months. The bay mare was third in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine last fall and recorded a pair of seconds to fellow Brown trainee Sistercharlie in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) in April and the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) in August.
It took all of Fourstar Crook's class to show just how superior her talent could be. She got away from the gate well under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and settled at the back of the pack as longshot Feeling Bossy led the field of seven through an opening quarter-mile in :25.71.
The leader began to pull away after an easy half in :51.72, while Onthemoonagain began to advance through the field up the backstretch, moving into second as six furlongs went in 1:15.80. While that one would take command with a three-wide move at the top of the stretch, Fourstar Crook was beginning her rally from the back, uncorking a sustained rally to sweep past her stablemate at the sixteenth pole for a two-length win.
"This horse ran super. We expected a short field and that the pace wouldn't be that strong, and it wasn't, but she was able to overcome it," Brown said. "She's a really consistent horse, and she particularly likes Belmont. She ran to her odds. She seemed very deserving to finally win a grade 1."
Fourstar Crook covered the 1 1/4 miles over an inner turf course listed as good in 2:03.28 and earned her fourth graded stakes win. She got the best of Sistercharlie in the June 8 New York Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2T) and hasn't been worse than third in her last 16 starts.
"When you look at who's she's beaten when she's not in grade 1s, and who she's lost to by short margins, this filly is very deserving to finally achieve that, and remarkable at age 6," Brown said. "(Co-owner) Michael Dubb and his partners have really done right by this filly her entire career. Every winter she's gone to Ocala (Fla.) and rested, and every year she's come back bigger and stronger. They've managed her very well. The way she finished today, she surely looks like a mile and three-eighths won't be a problem for her.
"We know (the Breeders' Cup) will be a much deeper field, but she's game and she's not afraid to run against anybody, I tell you that. She's a brave horse."
Grade 2 winner Lady Montdore was another 4 3/4 lengths back in third. Danceland, Feeling Bossy, Tricky Escape, and Holy Helena completed the order of finish.
Owned by Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith, Fourstar Crook improved her record to 12-4-1 from 19 starts and boosted her lifetime earnings to $1,604,566. She was bred by Kathleen Feron out of the D'Accord mare Avril a Portugal.