Uni, Got Stormy Tackle the Boys in Fourstardave

For all of the superb, graded stakes-winning fillies and mares in Chad Brown's barn, the three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer rarely sends them out against males.

"It's not something I normally do," he said.

So when Uni, a 5-year-old mare, popped up in the entries for the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) Aug. 10 at Saratoga Race Course, it sent a rather loud message about her current form—and the lack of a graded mile turf stakes for older females at the Spa.

"Given the schedule that's out there, the Fourstardave is very appealing. It's a mile race against boys and it's a grade 1. It can really build her resume. She deserves a shot because she's a real special horse," the runaway leader in the Saratoga trainers' standings said.

Racing for Michael Dubb, Bob LaPenta, Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners, and Mike Caruso's Bethlehem Stables, Uni comes into the one-mile Fourstardave, a Breeders' Cup Challenge series race, riding a five-race win streak and, not so coincidentally, all five of those wins were on turf at one mile.

A victory in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar in December was the highlight of a perfect 4-for-4 2018 campaign and this year the daughter of More Than Ready  picked up right where she left off, winning the June 29 Perfect Sting Stakes by a length at Belmont Park as the 2-5 favorite.

She already has experience at one mile on turf at Saratoga, winning the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes a year ago.

"She's in great form, particularly in her works," Brown said. "We really like her chances."

Bred by Haras D'Etreham out of the Dansili mare Unaided, she was acquired by her current connections through a private sale after making her first six starts in Europe. Since moving across the Atlantic, she has six wins in nine starts.

Uni is not the only female in the field of 10 as trainer Mark Casse elected to wheel Gary Barber and Southern Equine Stable's Got Stormy back in the Fourstardave after she won the Aug. 3 De La Rose by four lengths at the Spa. The grade 1-placed 4-year-old daughter of Get Stormy  was second in the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2T) in her prior start.

Brown will also send out Peter Brant's Raging Bull, a 4-year-old son of Dark Angel who accompanied Uni on the trip to Del Mar last winter and captured the Hollywood Derby (G1T), as well as Three Chimneys Farm's Made You Look.

Of late, Raging Bull has been facing grade 1 competition at classic distances, such as a third-place finish behind stablemate Bricks and Mortar in the 1 1/4-mile Manhattan Stakes (G1T) in his last start.

Brown believes cutting back to a mile could provide the 122-pound highweight with the type of pace scenario that will help him serve up an encore of his victory in the 1 1/16-mile National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) at the Spa a year ago.

"It seems like he's rounding back into form with a nice third-place finish last time in the Manhattan. In choosing between the (1 1/4-mile) Arlington Million (G1T) and this race, I thought with the cutback he might have more pace in front him. He also has a win under his belt at Saratoga," said Brown, who has yet to win the stakes named in honor of the famed gelding who was known as "The Sultan of Saratoga" for winning at least one race per year at the Spa from 1987 until 1994.

Raging Bull, bred by Dayton Investments Limited out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rosa Bonheur, was acquired by Brant through the Eugenio Colombo Agency for $100,935 from the Castlebridge consignment at the 2016 Goffs Orby Sale. With five wins in 10 starts, the bay colt has earned $745,500.

Among the others chasing grade 1 honors and the "Win and You're In" berth to the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), are the European shipper Ostilio, who is owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and trained by Simon Crisford. The 4-year-old son of New Approach was a group 2 winner at the close of last year, but finished eighth and seventh in group stakes in his only 2019 starts.

Three Diamonds Farm's Hembree, who was second in the Forbidden Apple Stakes (G3T) on yielding turf earlier in the meet, heads four horses returning from that one-mile, July 12, turf stakes. Runner-up by a half-length in the Forbidden Apple, the son of Proud Citizen was second in his last three starts, including a nose loss in the one-mile Poker Stakes (G3T) two starts back.

Made You Look (fourth), Live Oak Plantation's March to the Arch (fifth), and Zayat Stables' Gidu (ninth) are also exiting the Forbidden Apple.

William C. Schettine's Krampus, who finished a nose behind Hembree in a blanket finish in the Poker, and Peter J. and Eloise Canzone Sr.'s Dr. Edgar, who was another nose back in fourth, are also entered.

Entries: Fourstardave H. (G1T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 10, 2019, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1m
• Inner turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1March to the Arch (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Mark E. Casse	10/1
2	2Dr. Edgar (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Barclay Tagg	8/1
3	3Uni (GB)	Joel Rosario	117	Chad C. Brown	5/2
4	4Raging Bull (FR)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	3/1
5	5Ostilio (GB)	Andrea Atzeni	120	Simon Crisford	10/1
6	6Got Stormy (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	114	Mark E. Casse	6/1
7	7Krampus (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	William I. Mott	20/1
8	8Hembree (KY)	Luis Saez	117	Michael J. Maker	8/1
9	9Made You Look (KY)	Jose Lezcano	116	Chad C. Brown	10/1
10	10Gidu (IRE)	Manuel Franco	116	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1