Brown Considering Fourstardave at Saratoga for Uni

Trainer Chad Brown believes it may be time for a different challenge for the 5-year-old mare Uni.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Bethlehem Stables, the grade 1-winning daughter of More Than Ready  opened her 2019 campaign June 29 with a length victory over Mrs. Ramona G. in the $97,000 Perfect Sting Stakes for fillies and mares 4 years old and up at Belmont Park.

The one-mile turf stakes was Uni's fifth straight win—and first since the Dec. 2 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar—and could serve as a springboard to a date with the boys in the Aug. 10 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.

"It was a nice comeback race," Brown said. "It was nice to see that she came back with the same turn of foot. She's on top of her game, and the owners deserve a lot of credit for being patient. I'm thinking about the Fourstardave for her."

The one-mile Fourstardave serves as a "Win and You're In" qualifier for a free spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

Uni, a winner of eight of 15 starts who began her career in France, won all four of her 2018 races and has earned $947,880.

Out of the Dansili mare Unaided, Uni was purchased for $44,436 by The Channel Consignment from the consignment of her breeder, Haras d'Etreham, at the 2015 Arqana Deauville August Yearlings Sale. She was purchased privately and made her American debut with a third-place finish for Brown in the 2017 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T).

Brown has his sights set on another grade 1 turf stakes at Saratoga for another grade 1-winning mare in his barn. The July 13 Diana Stakes (G1T) remains the target for the 2019 debut of Peter Brant's Sistercharlie. The champion turf female of 2018 won last year's Diana.

A daughter of Myboycharlie, Sistercharlie has not raced since Nov. 3, when she captured the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) for her fourth grade 1 victory of the year.

In recent weeks, she has turned in a string of solid workouts in preparation for her 5-year-old debut. She breezed five furlongs June 30 on Belmont Park's inner turf course in a bullet 1:00.40, the fastest of 12 works at the distance.

"She's doing great. What we have to look at is the Breeders' Cup. We want to get her there," Brant said. "We took some time with her because she had a fever in February. Chad's great at taking his time with his horses."

Sistercharlie has seven wins and three seconds in 11 starts, with earnings of $2,575,603.