2016 Flower Bowl Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Flower Bowl Stakes is on tap for this Saturday, October 8 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will take to Belmont Park's turf track and run 1 1/4 miles for the winner's share of the $500,000 purse.

Six older females will take to the track in the Flower Bowl- race 6 on Belmont Park's action-packed Saturday card. Let's take a glance into the past performances of all six entries for this intriguing G1 stakes - a "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

2016 Flower Bowl Stakes Race Preview at Belmont Park

Lady Eli 8-5 - impressive Chad Brown trained star filly has been superb in her seven race career - six wins and a second place finish. - Last time out was her only blemish - a second in the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga August 27 which followed 13 months away from the track. Before the layoff were wins in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in July, 2015, in the minor Wonder Again Stakes May 31, the G3 Appalachian Stakes in April and a career defining 2 3/4 length win in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Lady Eli was an Eclipse Award finalist in 2014 and looks to get back on the winning track again. She is the class of the field here and will leave from post 7 with Irad Ortiz in the reins of the obvious morning line favorite.

Sea Calisi 5-2 - French bred Group 2 winner, Chad Brown trained filly has placed in nine of 10 career starts - four wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. She made her North American debut in May and won the G2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes here and went on to a second in the G2 New York Stakes on this track in June and another good win in the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington August 13. At home good results included consecutive respectable thirds including a Group 3 at Longchamp last September and that Group 2 score - the Prix de Malleret at Saint Cloud in June, 2015. Sea Calisi will be out to keep an impressive run going Saturday from the outside gate 6. Florent Geroux has been tabbed to ride the second betting choice.

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Sentiero Italia 4-1 - has 10 career starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin with five wins and two third place finishes. Last year she posted an OK third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup October 10, a win as favorite in the G2 Sands Point Stakes September 12, another win in the G2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga August 14, an OK fourth in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational and an Allowance score by two lengths against older horses May 28. She ended her 2015 campaign with a fourth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She was off for nearly nine months before returning to an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Belmont Park July 22 and was most recently seen running an OK third in the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga August 27. Sentiero Italia has been in every race in her career and hopes to be again Saturday. She aims for her first graded stakes score in over a year - from gate 4 with Joel Rosario guiding the morning line third choice.

Strike Charmer 6-1 - Mark Hennig trained mare won the G3 Cardinal Handicap in November, 2014 and has been up and down since. Last time out was a terrific win over Lady Eli in the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga August 27 after a fifth in the G1 Diana Stakes on that track July 23 and a disappointing eighth in the G1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park June 11. This year she also posted a nice win over Recepta in the G3 Beaugay Stakes May 14, a second in the minor Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct April 16 and a disappointing sixth in the G3 Marshua's River Stakes. Strike Charmer has six wins, four seconds and three third place finishes in 21 career starts and hopes for her second graded stakes score in a row Saturday. Javier Castellano gets the call from gate 2.

Ame Bleue 8-1 - British bred Andre Fabre trained filly has two wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts. She makes her North American debut Saturday off a close second in the Group 2 La Coupe de Maisons-Lafitte September 17, a second in the Group 1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet August 21 and a minor stakes score at Deauville in July. She failed to place in her previous five (all stakes). Ame Bleue looked good at home during the summer and hopes her success in top company at home translates this week. Olivier Peslier has been tabbed to ride this intriguing entry from the rail.

Itsonlyactingdad 15-1 - Todd Pletcher trained filly has placed in seven of 10 career starts - four wins and three third place finishes. Last time out was a disappointing seventh in the G3 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga September 3 which followed a good win in the G3 Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth Park Jul 31, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here in June, a ninth in the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes in April and another Allowance Optional Claiming score in February. Itsonlyactingdad has been a tad tough to figure out and will be after her second graded stakes score in three starts - from post 3 with John Velazquez aboard.

2016 Flower Bowl Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 6 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 3:03 PM.