Grade 1 winner Mauralakana (Fr) will carry the momentum of four straight stakes wins into the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the five-year-old Muhtathir (GB) mare most recently won the 1 3/16-mile Beverly D. Stakes (G1) on August 9 at Arlington Park, one of five wins in six starts this season. She suffered her only defeat this year when she ran second, 1 1/4 lengths behind Flower Bowl competitor Hostess, in the Orchid Handicap (G3) on March 30 at Gulfstream Park.

Robert Scarborough’s Mauralakana has won 11 of 26 starts overall and has earned $1,449,512. Prior to winning the Beverly D., Mauralakana posted back-to-back wins at Belmont Park in the Sheepshead Bay Handicap (G2) on May 24 and the New York Stakes (G2) on June 21.

Hostess enters off a neck victory against Flower Bowl foe Palmilla in the Glens Falls Handicap (G3) on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by James Bond for owner Bill Clifton Jr., Hostess finished third to Mauralakana in both the Sheepshead Bay Handicap and New York Stakes.

Palmilla earned her lone stakes win in the Robert G. Dick Memorial Handicap (G3) on July 12 at Delaware Park prior to running in the Glens Falls. Jonathan Shephard trains the Crown Pleaser mare for owner Augustin Stable.

The field for the Flower Bowl, a 1 1/4-mile turf race for fillies and mares three years old and older, also includes multiple Grade 3 winner Communique, runner-up to Mauralakana in the Beverly D., and Grade 1-placed winners Jade Queen and Dynaforce.

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Palmilla (Crowd Pleaser), Edgar Prado, 119, Jonathan Sheppard;

2. Communique (Smart Strike), Javier Castellano, 119, George Arnold II;

3. Dynaforce (Dynaformer), Alan Garcia, 119, Bill Mott;

4. Mauralakana [Fr] (Muhtathir [GB]), Kent Desormeaux, 123, Christophe Clement;

5. Jade Queen (Giant’s Causeway), Rafael Bejarano, 119, Todd Pletcher; and

6. Hostess (Chester House), Rajiv Maragh, 119, James Bond.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)