Whenever you size up the past performances of a New York turf stakes for fillies and mares, one name comes to mind: Chad Brown. The future Hall of Famer has dominated them for the past 15 years, and among the many races he owns is the Flower Bowl Stakes (G2).
Brown trained the winner eight times, including Stephanie’s Kitten, who swept the 2014 and 2015 editions. He also won the trophy with Stacelita (2011), Lady Eli (2016), Fourstar Crook (2018), Sistercharlie (2019), Virginia Joy (2022) and Idea Generation (2024).
On Thursday, Belmont Park will host the 49th running of the 1¼-mile, $500,000 Flower Bowl, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. The race was rescheduled after Saturday’s card was canceled due to rain and wind.
Stephanie’s Kitten won both races, as did Sistercharlie, who took the Filly & Mare Turf the year after her Flower Bowl victory.
Post time for Thursday’s eighth race is 5:48 p.m. ET.
Brown has a strong candidate for his ninth Flower Bowl triumph in Kathynmarissa, the 7-5 favorite in a field of 11. She rallied last time to give Brown his record 11th win in the 1 1/8-mile Diana Stakes (G1). Her final fraction was quick (about 11.6 seconds) on a rain-softened course labeled “yielding.” Her ability to handle wet ground might be significant, because heavy rain fell in New York on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
“When there’s some give in the ground and my horses can get their toe in it, they can really accelerate, no matter where they’re positioned,” Brown said. “So, I was very pleased when it started raining.”
Kathynmarissa isn’t the only Flower Bowl runner with a win on a wet course, however. So do Sunlit Uplands (6-1), Favorite Memory (20-1), Opulent Restraint (30-1), Evershed (12-1), Esna (15-1) and Gezora (6-1).
Although Kathynmarissa has a strong late kick and likes soft ground, she’s 0-for-4 (two seconds) at the Flower Bowl distance of 10 furlongs. However, she did dominate a 1 5/16-mile stakes at Kentucky Downs two years ago. Among her rivals who have won going 1¼ miles or farther are 12-1 shot Fionn; Evershed; Favorite Memory; Esna; Silvology (20-1) and Gezora. Handicapping is absorbing but rarely simple, and oh how we horseplayers love a challenge.
If you doubt whether Kathynmarissa can handle the distance, Evershed is a logical alternative, and her 12-1 morning-line odds feels like an overlay. Evershed just won going 1 3/8 miles in the Grade 3 Waya and has a win and a second on off turf.
Let’s toss out Sunlit Uplands (distance limitations); Favorite Memory (sixth, ninth in her only starts this year); Opulent Restraint (0-for-3 this year in optional claimers); Silvology (0-for-3 in graded stakes); and Cathedral (0-for-10 turf).
Money burner Storm Miami (2-for-21 on grass) has speed, stamina and strong recent form (three seconds, one third in last four graded stakes). Her problem is that Sunlit Uplands, Opulent Restraint and Evershed all could press her early.
Esna has faced top competition in Europe, and she’s 5-for-6 in the exacta when not facing the brilliant Diamond Necklace, a five-time stakes winner for Irishman Aidan O’Brien. Following her across the ocean will be English jockey Jamie Spencer, a five-time stakes winner in New York.
“The Flower Bowl was the right race for Esna,” trainer Brian Meehan said, “and I think the track will suit her really well. I’m really looking forward to running her.”
1 Evershed (Dylan Davis, Arnaud Delacour), 12-1
2 Storm Miami (John Velazquez, Amelia Green), 15-1
3 Sunlit Uplands (Rossa Ryan, Stuart Williams), 6-1
4 Gezora (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 6-1
5 Esna (Jaime Spencer, Brian Meehan), 15-1
6 Fionn (Manny Franco, Brad Cox), 12-1
7 Opulent Restraint (Javier Castellano, Bill Mott), 30-1
8 Favorite Memory (Kendrick Carmouche, Cherie DeVaux), 20-1
9 Kathynmarissa (Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown), 7-5
10 Cathedral (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown), 9-2
11 Silvology (Antonio Fresu, Shug McGaughey), 20-1
Ed McNamara is an award-winning racing writer who has covered the sport since 1981 for The Bergen (N.J.) Record, Newsday, ESPN, Thorocap, and USRacing. He is the author of Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown and Racing Around the World, and a contributor to The Most Glorious Crown and The Racetracks of America. He has also written for racing publications in France and Italy.
