Black Middle Flower Stakes: A History And Some Records
It’s pretty interesting to note that in the entire history of Derbyfever, there has never been a winner of the Triple Tiara, the penultimate achievement for three-year-old dirt fillies in America.
Will 2012 be the year that this never-before done feat of winning the Bluegrass Oaks, the Black Middle Flower Stakes and the Chestnut Stakes finally be accomplished?
If so, it’s up to Secret Shuffler this year, who won the 2012 Bluegrass Oaks just under two weeks ago.
Only Four Fillies Have Attempted All 3 Tiara Legs
But first, Secret Shuffler is going to have to win the 2012 Middle Flower Stakes this weekend. And then she’ll have to join an elite group of four fillies who have even attempted all three legs of the Tiara since its inception in 1999.
What’s amazing is that so few have even attempted all three legs of the 14 years of the Triple Tiara. Four fillies–Free Carson (2002), Storey Megan (2003), Whip Smart (2006) and Sabbath Point (2008)–have attempted the grueling three-races-in-five-weeks schedule that winning the Triple Tiara demands.
It was especially difficult in the old days to grab a Triple Tiara. In 1999, the initial year of the Triple Tiara, the distance for the Chestnut Stakes was 8 furlongs. Then, from 2000 to 2009, the third leg of the Tiara–the Chestnut Stakes–was run at a distance of 11 furlongs. Now that the Chestnut Stakes is back to 8 furlongs, might it be easier for a filly to pull off a Triple Tiara? Can 2012 finally be the year?
Only Two Fillies Have Won First And Second Legs Of Tiara
Of those four in that elite bunch who have tried all three legs of the Tiara, only two had a chance to actually win the coveted title. That would be Storey Megan (2003) and Sabbath Point (2008), who were poised to bring the Triple Tiara home that day after winning both the Bluegrass Oaks and the Black Middle Flower Stakes.
In 2003, June 7 was one of the most exciting days in Derbyfever history.
Two superb equines, a colt and a filly, were at New York Race Course, attempting to make history that day by pulling off something that had never been done before. I Seek U was taking the track in the Grade 1 New Yorker that day, trying to pull off the first Triple Crown in Derbyfever history. And Storey Megan was there that day, too, trying to make history by pulling off the first ever Triple Tiara.
I Seek U held up his end of the deal on that June day in New York in 2003, when he became the only colt in Derbyfever history to win the Triple Crown. But Storey Megan would be denied her Triple Tiara that day when Galloping Ghost spoiled her Tiara bid by winning the Chestnut Stakes.
After winning the first two legs of the Tiara in 2003, Storey Megan finished fifth in that 2003 Chestnut Stakes, the race that would crush her hopes for a coveted Triple Tiara. And in 2008, Sabbath Point went to New York with high Tiara hopes after cruising to victory in the first two legs, only to watch the English-bred Cosimo snag her Tiara away by romping to a win in that year’s Chesnut Stakes, the last year the race was run at 11 furlongs.
All Three Fillies Since 2009 Have Won The Middle Leg As New Shooters
Only five fillies have ever run in only the Black Middle Flower Stakes and won it, while skipping both the Bluegrass Oaks and the Chesnut Stakes.
An interesting trend developed when the Chestnut Stakes distance changed back to 8 furlongs in 2009. All three of those Black Middle Flower Stakes winners since 2009 won the second leg of the Tiara as a new shooter and then skipped the final leg, the Chestnut Stakes.
No filly has even tried to run in all three legs of the Tiara since the third leg, the Chestnut Stakes, was changed back to its distance of 8 furlongs in 2009. In fact, every single Black Middle Flower Stakes winner since 2009 belongs to an elite class of five fillies who comprise the New Shooter Syndrome group.
Can a new shooter in this year’s Black Middle Flower Stakes join that group? Her Beef (1999), Empire Reef (2005), Dru (2009), San Fran Gold (2010) and Headingforadivorce (2011) won their only attempt in the Triple Tiara, when they all scored wins as a new shooter in the Black Middle Flower Stakes and then skipped the Chestnut Stakes.
Only Two Post Time Favs Have Won The Black Middle Flower
Only two post-time betting favorites have ever won the Black Middle Flower Stakes. That would be Her Beef (1999) at odds of 2.60 / 1 and Sabbath Point at 4.60 / 1. Secret Shuffler might be favored here this weekend in the second leg of the Tiara If she is favored, and if she wins, she’ll join those two in that group of post-time favorites to win the second leg of the Tiara.
The longest shot to ever win the Black Middle Flower was Katherineofarragon, who won at odds of 17.4 / 1 in the 2007 Black Middle Flower Stakes.
Other Interesting Facts
As far as Black Middle Flower stakes records go, the magical time to beat this weekend is 1:47 4/5. Three fillies hold that record. Free Carson (2002), Sabbath Point (2008) and Dru (2009) all hold that record for the fastest Black Middle Flower stakes. The slowest time recorded by any Black Middle Flower Stakes winner is 1:50 1/5 (Mother Story, 2000).
Free Carson, a daughter of Carson City, did something no other filly has done. She finished in the top three of all three legs of the Triple Tiara (third in the Bluegrass Oaks, first in the Black Middle Flower and second in the then 11-furlong Chestnut Stakes.)
Even if Secret Shuffler doesn’t win the Black Middle Flower Stakes this weekend, she still could do something this year that no other filly has ever done. She could still win the Bluegrass Oaks and the Chestnut Stakes, the first and the third legs of the Tiara. That particular feat has never been accomplished in the 14-year history of the Tiara.
And finally, one last fact. Only one sire has produced multiple winners of the Black Middle Flower Stakes. That would be Forty Niner, who sired both 2003 winner Storey Megan and 2004 winner Covarrabius.
History Of Black Middle Flower Winners (1999-2011):
*** Indicates Betting Favorite, Next To Post-Time Odds
*** Indicates Stakes Record Time, Next To Winning Time
(DNR designation in Triple Tiara History — Did Not Run)
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1999 — Her Beef (Sire: Carr de Naskra)
Winning Time: 1:49 4/5 Post-Time Odds: 2.60 / 1 ***
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (DNR).
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2000 — MOTHER STORY (Sire: Wild Again)
Winning Time: 1:50 1/5 Post-Time Odds: 6.40 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (9th).
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2001 — STONE BARKING (Sire: Grindstone)
Winning Time: 1:49 2/5 Post-Time Odds: 5.40 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (3rd), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (DNR).
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2002 — FREE CARSON (Sire: Carson City)
Winning Time: 1:47 4/5 *** Post Time Odds: 5.40 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (3rd), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (2nd).
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2003 — STOREY MEGAN (Sire: Forty Niner)
Winning Time: 1:48 4/5 Post-Time Odds: 11.80 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (1st), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (5th).
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2004 — COVARRUBIAS (Sire: Forty Niner)
Winning Time: 1:48 2/5 Post-Time Odds: 10.30 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes 11th).
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2005 — EMPIRE REEF (Sire: Empire Maker)
Winning Time: 1:48 1/5 Post-Time Odds: 6.10 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (DNR).
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2006 — WHIP SMART (Sire: Stravinsky)
Winning Time: 1:48 3/5 Post-Time Odds: 7 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (3rd), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (9th).
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2007 — KATHERINEOFARRAGON (Sire: High Yield)
Winning Time: 1:48 3/5 Post-Time Odds: 17.4 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (4th), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chesnut Stakes (DNR).
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2008 — SABBATH POINT (Sire: Seeking The Gold)
Winning Time: 1:47 4/5 *** Post-Time Odds: 4.60 / 1 ***
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (1st), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut (10th).
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2009 — DRU (Sired by: Unbridled’s Song)
Winning Time: 1:47 4/5 *** Post Time Odds: 11.8 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (DNR).
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2010 — SAN FRAN GOLD (Sired by: Giant’s Causeway)
Winning Time: 1:48 1/5 Post Time Odds: 6.60 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (DNR).
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2011 — HEADINGFORADIVORCE (Sired by: Broken Vow)
Winning Time: 1:49 Post Time Odds: 4.70 / 1
Triple Tiara History: Bluegrass Oaks (DNR), Black Middle Flower (1st), Chestnut Stakes (DNR).
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