Be Your Best might be a good bet Saturday in the $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares on the turf at Saratoga Race Course.
On closer inspection, she looks like the best bet in the “Win and You’re In” contest that awards the victor a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar.
Be Your Best, the 5-2 second betting choice in the 1 3/16-mile Flower Bowl, is in the midst of a banner year. She has already posted wins in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) at Gulfstream Park and in the Gamely Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita.
Earlier this month, the 5-year-old ran third in the Beverly D (G2) at Colonial Downs, her first race since the Gamely on May 26.
With that tightener, she should be fit and ready for this challenge over a course where she sports a 2-0-1 mark in four tries, and at the 1 3/8 miles distance where she has posted a 1-0-1 record in two races.
Add it all up, and the signs point squarely to the Irish-bred mare.
Looking back at the Beverly D, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. feels Be Your Best was compromised by pressing the pace set by Charlene’s Dream, the front-running winner, instead of forcing the issue on the engine.
This time, expect a take-no-prisoners charge right to the front.
“I thought she ran well in the Beverly D. It just kind of became a tricky race pace wise,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We took back and let the other horse go and that horse kept going. We didn’t think that other filly could go the distance, but she did. I think we compromised our horse a little bit by giving up the lead, but hindsight is always 20/20 and we’ll move forward now and hopefully she can rebound in this race. She’s doing well and training well, so we’ll give it a shot.”
Joseph admits the “Win and You’re In” spot in the Breeders’ Cup strongly factored in the decision to run here.
“She’s had a very good year. To win the Pegasus Turf with her and then to get that Grade 1, that was important on her resume,” Joseph said. “She’s got a high cruising speed, and she does stay, so hopefully the turf will be firm. We know she likes it there already, we just need it to be firm.”
La Mehana, the 2-1 favorite, would love a course with more give. The mare trained by Miguel Clement turned in a career-best victory last month in the Glens Falls Stakes (G2) over a yielding course.
“She is ticking along nicely,” said Clement, who took over the training with the passing of his father Christophe in May. “She was an impressive winner of the Glens Falls -- she has an affinity for soft turf which is shown on her form in Europe. She's also getting good. Her start two back was very impressive at Aqueduct. It's funny to say, but even as a 6-year-old she's improving.”
The Glens Falls extended La Mehana’s winning streak to two as the follow-up to an allowance victory at Aqueduct.
Clement also saddles In Time (15-1) and Bellaza (4-1), giving him three of the eight runners in the field.
In Time will be making her U.S. stakes debut while Bellezza was a distant second to La Mehana in the Glens Falls.
Other key contenders include Marksman Queen, winner of the R. G. Dick Memorial (G3) at Delaware Park, and Amber Cascade who missed by only a head in the Kentucky Downs Preview Lady’s Turf Mile at Ellis Park.
So, working our way back to where we began …
The field for the $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G1),from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Marksman Queen (Luan Machado, H. Graham Motion), 8-1
2 Amber Cascade (Jose Lezcano, Mike Maker), 10-1
3 Long Ago (Ricardo Santana, Jr., Bill Morey), 6-1
4 La Mehana (Kendrick Carmouche, Miguel Clement), 2-1
5 In Time (Dylan Davis, Miguel Clement), 15-1
6 Madame Mischief (Emaisel Jaramillo, Jorge Delgado), 20-1
7 Be Your Best (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 5-2
8 Bellezza (Jaime Rodriguez, Miguel Clement), 4-1
9 Amanda's Folly (Jose Lezcano, Linda Rice), 5-2
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
