Kathynmarissa up late to take the Flower Bowl, NYRA Photo
Jon Forbes
Kathynmarissa, confidently handled by jockey Jose Ortiz, rallied from sixth to overtake a game Sunlit Uplands in the final sixteenth to win the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl on Thursday at Belmont Park.
The Flower Bowl, a 1 1/4-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, which will be contested October 31 at Keeneland.
Favored at 6-5 off a win in the Grade 1 Dunkin’ Diana July 18 at Saratoga Race Course, Kathynmarissa was kept under a snug hold by Ortiz as she raced three wide on the first turn of the Flower Bowl through an opening quarter-mile in 23.64 seconds over the firm turf.
Kathynmarissa raced in the clear through a half in 48.29, began tracking Sunlit Uplands on the far turn following three quarters in 1:12.15, and was angled outside that foe at the top of the stretch, rallying when cued and passing Sunlit Uplands with 50 yards remaining to score by three-quarters of a length. Sunlit Uplands held second by three-quarter lengths over Evershed, who finished a neck in front of fourth-place finisher Favorite Memory.
The final time for 10 furlongs was 2:00.58. The Flower Bowl was the third graded stakes win on the day for Jose Ortiz, who also took the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom with R Disaster and the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic with Minaret Station.
“We had better pace today and she was able to relax and [kick on] much better,” said Ortiz. “In the first turn, I wasn’t where I wanted to be, and then I looked in and saw a spot and dropped behind the Euro [Sunlit Uplands]. After that, I was right where I wanted. After the half-mile pole, I asked her to pick it up a little bit. I decided to put her in the clear and let her get into that beautiful stride. She did, and I just wish the Flower Bowl was a Grade 1 [laughs].”
Kathynmarissa gave five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown a record-extending ninth victory the Flower Bowl [Stacelita, 2011; Stephanie’s Kitten, 2014-15; Lady Eli, 2016; Fourstar Crook, 2018; Sistercharlie, 2019; Virginia Joy, 2022; and Idea Generation, 2024]. Brown also won the Grade 3 Winter Memories earlier on the card with Shelzawa.
“She’s just been a model of consistency,” Brown said of Kathynmarissa. “So much heart. Pace was against her today a bit, and the runner-up had the jump on her, and this filly didn’t have to get there, but I just think the last 70 yards was just heart for this horse. And that’s what I see in the morning, she has a lot of heart. She is a very solid horse that just wants to do right, she wants to win, she wants to just leave it all out on the racetrack. So, I’m very proud of her.”
Kathynmarissa began her career in the barn of Rick Dutrow, Jr., winning the 2024 Listed Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs and finishing second in that year’s Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita Park. Transferred to Brown midway through 2025, she has subsequently won four of five starts, capturing an optional claimer at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Modesty this May at Churchill Downs in addition to the Dunkin’ Diana and Flower Bowl. Her lone loss for Brown was a third in the Grade 1 New York in June during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.
Kathynmarissa, whose overall record stands at 7-2-3 in 15 starts, earned $275,000 for her Flower Bowl victory. She returned $4.68 for a $2 win bet. The bay daughter of American Pharoah is owned by Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb and was bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation.
Brown confirmed that Kathynmarissa will now target the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
“I’m just so appreciative that Mike Dubb gave us this horse to work with a couple years ago,” said Brown. “Although her season got cut short last year just with one run, which was disappointing, Mike’s always very patient. We go back a long time. I mean I’ve been training for Mike and various partners of his for, I don’t know, 17 years now, and we’ve also been friends for that long. His wife, Lee, is here and other friends of his that he works with are with him today, and it’s just a really great way to kick off the first Flower Bowl back at the new Belmont, that Mike, a board member, played a big role in the redevelopment of as well. So, I think it is great that this horse won for them today.”
Rossa Ryan, rider aboard the Stuart Williams-trained Sunlit Uplands, said the Flower Bowl’s 10-furlong distance was a bit too far for his mount, who also was second in her North American debut, the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Ballston Spa presented by STIHL on August 22 at Saratoga.
“She’s run well,” said Ryan. “Probably a mile and one [furlong] is her real trip, but a good run and everything fell right for me, just beaten by a very good filly.
“She kept going, just the real stamina was starting to tell late on,” Ryan added. “I just landed there so comfortably. Good, honest, gutsy filly, was unlucky not to win it and I’m sure she’ll pick up a group race out here for sure.”
Fionn was fifth and was followed home by 2025 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Gezora, Storm Miami, the winner’s stablemate Cathedral, slow starting Esna, Silvology, and pacesetting Opulent Restraint.
Live racing resumes on Friday at Belmont with a nine-race card headlined by the Listed $175,000 Artie Schiller in Race 8, co-featuring the $175,000 Bertram F. Bongard in Race 2, and the rescheduled $175,000 Joseph A. Gimma in Race 3. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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