Shelzawa (2-1), the favorite, was positioned near the back of the pack entering the final turn but made a strong rally under jockey Flavien Prat to secure her first stakes victory in Thursday’s rescheduled Winter Memories Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. This 3-year-old French-bred filly by Zelzal covered the mile on the firm Widener turf in 1:34.86, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of runner-up Sister Troienne.
Trained by Chad Brown and owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss, William Rucker, and Michael Caruso, Shelzawa has now won three consecutive races, following two allowance wins at Saratoga earlier this summer.
Shelzawa remained relaxed toward the rear as Sister Troienne set the pace with splits of :24.46, :47.34, and 1:11.10. Still in ninth place turning into the stretch, she saved ground before Prat confidently navigated around tiring horses to find an opening. Shelzawa then unleashed a powerful late burst to overtake Sister Troienne and claim victory.
“I noticed she was saving ground and had a clear path, which was ideal,” said Brown. “However, the pace was a bit soft, so I was worried she might not have enough momentum to close well. Flavien did an excellent job managing a tricky inside-out trip.”
Brown noted that Shelzawa is still physically maturing and might be rested for the remainder of the year to focus on her 4-year-old season, although he did not dismiss the possibility of one more race—the Grade 3 Pebbles on November 21.
“She’s performed well in every race for us, and I truly believe her best performances are still to come,” Brown said.
Sister Troienne finished second, while another Brown trainee, Crossover Capital, rounded out the top three.
Originally bred in France by Marie-Laure Collet and Teddy Poirier, Shelzawa began her career there before transferring to Brown’s stable. Her first U.S. start was in June, where she placed third in a Saratoga maiden special weight. She then broke her maiden, followed by an allowance win before advancing to stakes competition. Shelzawa has now won three of six lifetime starts, earning over $250,000.
This story first appeared in the Paulick Report’s News section on October 1, 2026.
Fan Take: Shelzawa’s emergence as a stakes winner highlights the ongoing impact of international bloodlines and expert training in U.S. turf racing. For fans, her promising trajectory signals exciting competition ahead and the potential for memorable turf performances in major stakes events.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
