Stacelita outclasses Flower Bowl foes

"I wasn't happy about being wide," Dominguez recapped, "but I was very

pleased with the way she was handling herself. When she saw the light, she

wanted to run.

"She felt like she was playing with those fillies. She was just really in

control. Once she got to the backside and I tucked behind (Gitchee Goomie), I

felt like she would have a pretty good kick, and she did."

Brown also admitted his concern about the early stages of the race.

"Getting floated wide on the first turn, I was a little worried," Brown said.

"But when you have Ramon riding, it eases your (mind) a little bit because he

finds a way to work out a trip under adverse circumstances. I was feeling pretty

good down the backside when I saw how much horse he had, and when he ranged up

to the leaders in hand, obviously, I felt good. I thought, all in all, it was a

great, patient ride by Ramon."

Distorted Legacy, the longest shot on the board at 42-1, closed well to

finish best of the rest. Dynaslew salvaged third, and Emerald Beech, Gitchee

Goomie and Deluxe rounded out the order under the wire. Aruna and Senada were

scratched because of the rain-softened ground.

"I probably got beat by the best filly in the country on the grass,"

commented Distorted Legacy's trainer, Angel Penna Jr.

Stacelita improved her mark to 17-10-2-2, $2,372,268. She is now two-for-two

versus fellow distaffers in the United States, having captured the Grade 1

Beverly D. last time out at Arlington Park on August 13. Her only loss on these

shores came in the Grade 1 United Nations versus males on July 2, where she was

compromised by a less than ideal trip and wound up third.

Previously based in France with Jean-Claude Rouget, Stacelita was a four-time

Group 1 star at home, capturing the 2009 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), Prix

Saint-Alary and Prix Vermeille, and the 2010 Prix Jean Romanet. She also scored

in the 2009 Prix Rose de Mai and last year's Group 3 La Coupe, and finished

runner-up in last year's Group 1 Prix de l'Opera and Nassau. The five-year-old

concluded her French career with a third as the defending champion in the La

Coupe on June 13.

"She is a remarkable horse," Brown said, "and she's had an outstanding career

to this point. Hopefully she can cap it off with a win in the Breeders' Cup.

"Most likely we will stay here until the week of the Breeders' Cup and do all

her training here. She seems to like New York. Her training to this point, knock

wood, has been flawless at Belmont, so the plan is to stay here as long as we

could before the Breeders' Cup."

Bred by Jean Pierre Joseph Dubois in France, Stacelita is by Monsun and out

of Group 3-placed stakes heroine Soignee, a daughter of Dashing Blade.