Royal Charlotte Wins Victory Ride, Eyes a Bigger Test
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Royal Charlotte wins the Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park
Trainer Chad Brown came into the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival with a stellar hand for the major two-turn prizes for 3-year-old fillies at the upcoming Saratoga Race Course meet in Three Chimneys Farm's Guarana and Peter Brant's Dunbar Road.
Now he's sitting rather pretty for the Spa's $500,000 Longines Test Stakes (G1), the seven-furlong showdown for the 3-year-old division's top female sprinters Aug. 3.
First Row Partners' Royal Charlotte improved her record to 4-for-4 by recording an impressive four-length victory for the three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer in the $139,500 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) July 5 at Belmont Park.
"You look forward to a race like the Test for her from here. She's earned it. Every race she's run in she's continued to improve, and she has to be one of the top contenders now," Brown said.
The 6 1/2-furlong Victory Ride served as Royal Charlotte's entrance into graded stakes company, and the 3-2 favorite turned in a regal performance under jockey Javier Castellano.
The Kentucky-bred daughter of Cairo Prince broke from the rail and was fourth in the field of five through a half-mile in :44.77 but then swung out on the turn and blew past the frontrunning Cookie Dough to cross the wire in 1:15.82.
"I tipped outside when I made the move and put her in the clear. She saw daylight and she took off. It was a quick reaction, and that was the key to win the race. If I stayed inside and waited for the hole, I think it would have taken too much to do it," Castellano said.
The victory came on the heels of wins in Monmouth Park's $73,500 Hystericalady Stakes and allowance and maiden scores.
"We've always thought she was a nice filly," Brown said. "She's always trained well, but she's been a bit of an overachiever. She always runs a little better than she trains, and for a horse like this to start off her career and keep getting better with every start and be so honest and consistent, I'm really lucky to have her. It was a tricky post, and Javier showed why he's a Hall of Fame rider. He didn't panic and he just gave her a great trip, and she really responded. I'm really proud of both of them."
Royal Charlotte was bred by Rhineshire Farm and was a $70,000 RNA at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Arindel's grade 2-placed Cookie Dough was a clear second under jockey Rajiv Maragh as the homebred daughter of Brethren finished 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Steve Landers' Peruvian Appeal.
"She's a gutsy filly," Maragh said. "She was so willing from when the gate opened to get up front. She tried all the way to the end."
The Victory Ride also marked a return to training for Don Chatlos, who saddled OXO Equine's Brill to a fourth-place finish. It was the first starter since Nov. 23, 2008, for Chatlos, the former assistant to Jerry Hollendorfer who was named trainer of six OXO Equine horses at Belmont Park after Hollendorfer was barred from entering horses at New York Racing Association tracks June 29.
Fortune Farm's Sue's Fortune, the 9-5 second choice, was pulled up in the stretch and vanned off.
In response to concern on Twitter, trainer Jeremiah Englehart replied: "Thanks for concern, she came back fine. Wasn't her day today and Junior (Alvarado) did a great job in pulling her up when he knew it wasn't her day."