Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Serve The King Completes Brown’s Five-Win Day At Saratoga

Trainer Chad Brown won one for the proverbial thumb, notching his fifth victory on the card when Peter Brant's Serve the King overtook Ry's the Guy in deep stretch and pressed on for a half-length win in Wednesday's $120,000 John's Call going 1 5/16 miles over Saratoga Race Course's Mellon turf in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 17th running of the John's Call – for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded stakes on turf in 2021 – saw Brown extend his meet total to 27, putting him in the top spot among conditioners with 10 race days remaining in the 40-day meet.

Serve the King, under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., broke from the outermost post and stalked in third position as Ry's the Guy led the seven-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 25.85 seconds over firm going. Conviction Trade took the lead on the first pass in front of the grandstand, logging a half-mile in 50.92, and maintained the advantage through three-quarters in 1:15.09 and a mile in 1:40.55.

Heading out the final turn, Ortiz, Jr. tipped Serve the King out, allowing him to take aim at Ry's the Guy. Under right-handed encouragement, Serve the King steadily gained before taking the lead for good in the final sixteenth, completing the course in 2:43.49 for his first win in his last five starts.

“We've been trying to get this horse around three turns since last year and we just didn't have the races available,” said Brown, who is aiming for his fourth career Saratoga training title. “He got started a little late last year and by the time we were really ready to start him, it was going to be in the Red Smith and he got injured so I had to stop on him. Mr. Brant has just been so patient, he always is with these horses and lets us give them the time and he came back really well this year.”

The British-bred Serve the King capitalized on class relief after consecutive fourth-place finishes in the Grade 3 Monmouth on June 5 and the Grade 1 United Nations on the same track on July 17. The 5-year-old son of Kingman improved to 4-1-1 in nine starts and increased his career earnings to $196,180.

“I thought this horse should have been second in the United Nations,” Brown said. “He got in some trouble around the eighth pole and we thought he should've been second. That went into my decision to bring him up here to Saratoga for a race of this caliber. Even though this isn't the Sword Dancer, it's still a real race at Saratoga. If I'm going to bring that horse all the way up here off a fourth on paper in the U.N., it better be a good fourth.”

Brown said Serve the King could now target the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 at Belmont Park.

“Domestic Spending might train up to the Breeders' Cup maybe, so that race might be a little bit open for a horse like this,” Brown said. “He used this restricted race to really have his coming out party so to speak, so it's time to go back in a real race again. I think that's probably the most logical.”

Serve the King was the third consecutive win Brown saddled on the card and fifth overall. Off at 3-1, he was the lone non-favorite winner on the day for the four-time Eclipse Award winner, returning $8.90 on a $2 win wager. Pocket Square [$2.30] won Race 3, Digital Future [$4.20] was the Race 5 winner, Gandy Dancing [Race 7, $6.50] and Winter Pool [Race 8, $4.50] also earned winners' circle trips.

“It's one of those things that I put in the pile of highlights of my career so far,” Brown said. “Five really diverse winners, too. Long, short, dirt, turf. My team and my horses were able to showcase today. When the weather is right and the horses are there, we can get the job done with any type of horse. It was really on display today.”

Ortiz, Jr. teamed with Brown for three of his wins, riding Pocket Square and Digital Future. The veteran rider won his fourth career John's Call after posting three straight victories from 2015-17.

“I got a perfect trip,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “Honestly, I saved all the ground. I was outside and by the first turn I was already on the rail. He broke so good I was already in position right there. I saved as much ground as I could. I had to move a little early because they opened up a little bit on me but he was catching up, little by little. He's not the kind of horse that you're going to ask and he's going to respond right away. He takes some time, so I started moving a little early. When I hit him, he let me know that I had some horse, and when I tipped him out, he just went on from there.”

Ry's the Guy, trained by Ian Wilkes and ridden by Luis Saez, bested Argentinian-bred Fantasioso by two lengths for second.

“We had a pretty nice trip,” Saez said. “We broke from there and we had some pressure early. I guess that was the plan. I had to take a little hold. He went pretty quick, but he still ran big. I'm pretty happy with him. He was very tired but he tried hard.”

Shamrocket, the 5-2 favorite, finished fourth. Ajournettofreedom, Red Knight and Conviction Trade completed the order of finish. Moretti, entered for the main track only, scratched.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $120,000 Riskaverse for 3-year-old fillies who have not won a stakes at one mile or over in 2021 in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:05 p.m.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Brown Chasing Record Fourth Score In Sword Dancer With Tribhuvan, Rockemperor

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of strong contenders in Tribhuvan and Rockemperor, who will square off against a talented field of Grade/Group 1-winners in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course.

The Sword Dancer, contested at 1 1/2-miles on the inner turf for older horses, provides a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf on November 6 at Del Mar and is part of a loaded Runhappy Travers Day card featuring seven stakes and six Grade 1s, offering $4.6 million in total purse money.

Headlined by the 152nd running of the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers, the stakes-laden undercard also includes the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti; Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina; Grade 1, $600,000 Forego; and Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, along with the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa.

Brown, who has won this event previously with Big Blue Kitten [2013], Flintshire [2016] and Annals of Time [2019], is tied with Hall of Famer Bill Mott, represented here by defending champion Channel Maker, with a record three Sword Dancer scores.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Tribhuvan, a 5-year-old French-bred son of Toronado, has utilized a front-running approach to record consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in three starts this year.

Tribhuvan posted a dynamic score in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Fort Marcy [103] in May ahead of a runner-up effort to stablemate Domestic Spending in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Manhattan [101] in June, both at Belmont.

Last out, Tribhuvan made every pole a winning one to capture the 11-furlong Grade 1 United Nations [102] over firm Monmouth Park turf on July 17.

Brown said Tribhuvan has reached a new level since being gelded in January.

“He surprised me that he's turned into the frontrunning horse that he is now,” Brown said. “We've gone on with it and he's changed since we gelded him as well. He's developing beyond my expectations and I'm really proud of the horse. He continues to get better.”

The Irish-bred Rockemperor, a 5-year-old multiple graded-stakes placed son of Holy Roman Emperor, will look to break through at the top flight.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Dubb, Wonder Stables, Caruso and Michael E. Kisber, Rockemperor has hit the board in 3-of-4 starts in Grade 1 company, including a third in the 2019 Belmont Derby; a neck loss when second to Instilled Regard in last year's Manhattan at Belmont; and third in the Turf Classic in September at Churchill Downs.

Rockemperor won a 10-furlong optional-claiming event in June at Belmont ahead of a closing second last out in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Bowling Green won by Sword Dancer-rival Cross Border.

“He ran well last time. He's a horse that's always knocking on the door in these bigger races, so hopefully he steps it up here,” Brown said.

Flavien Prat will pilot Tribhuvan, carrying a field-high 124 pounds, from the inside post, while Irad Ortiz, Jr. will guide Rockemperor, listed at 118 pounds, from post 3.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker has racked up a number of accomplishments through 40 starts, including a 2017 Sovereign Award as Canada's Champion 3-Year-Old Colt and an Eclipse Award last year as the nation's Champion Turf Male.

With seven wins and more than $3.2 million in purse earnings, the multiple Grade 1-winner will make his fourth straight Sword Dancer appearance following a second in 2018, a fourth in 2019 and a win last year to highlight his championship campaign that also included a score in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont.

“He's a very durable horse,” Mott said. “He stays in good flesh, eats good, shows up to work every day. He doesn't have a lot of issues. He's just been a real warrior.”

The 7-year-old English Channel gelding, bred in Ontario by the Tall Oaks Farm of Ivan Dalos, will look to get back on track after a pair of off-the-board efforts following his good second in the Neom Turf Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Mott, who sent out Fraise [1992] and Broadway Flyer [1998] to Sword Dancer scores, will task regular rider Manny Franco to engineer a winning effort from post 4 on a course Channel Maker [122 pounds] performs well on.

“He does like it here,” Mott said. “I suppose a lot depends upon how the race shapes up for him. That's always important.”

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Masaaki Matsushima, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith's Japan, trained by Aidan O'Brien, will make his first start in North America.

The 5-year-old multiple Group 1-winning son of Galileo arrived in New York on Monday in the care of traveling assistant T.J. Comerford and after clearing quarantine was able to train Wednesday morning.

“We got out on to the track this morning and trotted around the opposite direction and then cantered back past the winning post. It was something just very light,” Comerford said.

Japan, who boasts a record of seven wins and four thirds from 18 starts with purse earnings in excess of $2.1 million, posted consecutive Group 1-wins in 2019 in the 12-furlong Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp and the 1 5/16-mile Juddmonte International at York.

Japan has notched a pair of Group 3 wins in four starts this campaign, taking the 1 11/16-mile Ormond in May at Chester and the nine-furlong Meld last out on July 15 at Leopardstown.

“The last day in Leopardstown when he won, he was very good,” said Comerford. “Going a mile and an eighth he had to be at his quickest to win it and he did. He showed plenty of boot there and that was good for him. He's in very good form.”

Comerford said he's hopeful that Japan will return to Grade 1-winning form as he stretches back out to his preferred distance.

“After winning a Juddmonte International, he's on his way back I think. Hopefully, he turns up on the day,” Comerford said. “A mile and a half is better for him than a mile and an eighth, but it's good that he's won over a mile and a eighth, because it shows that he's got a bit of speed as well. You just want a true run race every time you come here.”

Ryan Moore will guide Japan, assigned 120 pounds, from post 6.

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo, a 4-year-old son of Declaration of War, captured last year's Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational for trainer Christophe Clement.

A tremendous sophomore season, in which the chestnut won 4-of-6 starts, also featured wins in the English Channel at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park.

Gufo [122 pounds] has made three of his last four starts in Grade 1 company, beginning with a neck loss when third in the Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar and continuing through a nose loss to Channel Cat in the Man o' War in May at Belmont and a closing third in the Manhattan in June. Last out, Gufo found class relief by capturing the $150,000 Grand Couturier traveling 1 1/2 miles on July 5 at Belmont.

Joel Rosario will retain the mount from post 2.

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border, a 7-year-old New York-bred son of English Channel, thrives on the Saratoga turf with a record of 7-6-1-0 led by back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, albeit by disqualification last year when Sadler's Joy was taken down.

The ultra-consistent ridgling has amassed a record of 35-10-8-4 with purse earnings of $948,421. Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B. D. Gibbs, Cross Border won three races at the 2019 Spa summer meet and last year won the restricted Lubash in addition to a runner-up effort in the Sword Dancer, his only loss at Saratoga.

Conditioned by Mike Maker, Cross Border [122 pounds] will exit post 7 under the Spa's leading rider Luis Saez.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out multiple graded-stakes placed Moretti for his turf debut. The regally-bred 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, breezed a half-mile in 49.02 on the Oklahoma training turf on August 22.

Owned by Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Moretti captured the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone here over the main track last August.

Moretti [118 pounds] will exit post 5 under Jose Ortiz.

The Sword Dancer is slated as Race 11 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Chad Brown-Trained Trio Headline Ballston Spa

Trainer Chad Brown will be represented by a trio of turf distaffers while seeking his sixth triumph in Saturday's 33rd running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Brown, a three-time leading trainer at the Spa, is the winningest trainer in the Ballston Spa, having saddled Zagora [2012] and Lady Eli [2017] to victories en route to Champion Grass Female honors in their respective years, as well as winning with Dacita [2015], Quidura [2018] and Significant Form [2019].

Juddmonte's Viadera, who arrives off nearly three week's rest, was a troubled fourth as the favorite in the De La Rose on Aug. 8 at the Spa, where she made her first start in over eight months. The 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath will try to regain her winning form from last season, when she secured three stakes victories.

Following a triumph by a neck in the 2020 De La Rose, which was her second start in North America, she won by the same margin against stable mate Blowout in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel on September 26 at Belmont Park. Viadera brought her form to new heights when shipping to Southern California for the Grade 1 Matriarch on November 29 at Del Mar, besting Blowout once more under a well-timed ride by jockey Joel Rosario to win by a nose.

In the De La Rose last out, Viadera rated at the rear of the field along the rail, checked slightly down the backstretch, and lacked racing room in upper stretch to close late finishing 2 ¾ lengths behind stable mate Regal Glory.

“She had a lot of trouble last time, but she got something out of it and hopefully can move forward off short rest,” Brown said.

Rosario, the pilot in all five of her North American starts, will retain the mount from post 3.

Kalifornia Queen, owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and First Row Partners, arrives off a late-closing second to stable mate Great Island in the Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 17 at Monmouth Park.

A Group 2 winner in her native Germany, the 4-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega was unplaced in graded stakes in her first two starts in North America, but made her third effort stateside a winning one in an allowance optional claiming tilt at the Ballston Spa distance on July 13 at Belmont Park.

Brown said he was satisfied with the effort.

“She ran great last time. Cutting her back and taking the blinkers off have done her well,” Brown said.

Kalifornia Queen will leave post 6 under jockey Flavien Prat.

Swift Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Tamahere seeks her first victory since capturing her North American debut in the Grade 2 Sands Point on October 10 at Belmont Park.

The French-bred daughter of Wootton Bassett finished second in two of her three efforts this season. In her 2021 debut, Tamahere was second to Juliet Foxtrot in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 10 at Keeneland. After a distant ninth in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont Park, she received a drop in class into allowance optional claiming company to run second on July 28 at Saratoga.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Tamahere from post 2.

Trainer Tony Dutrow will send out Woodford Racing's High Opinion, who bested winners last out on July 31 going one mile over Saratoga's inner turf.

The 4-year-old daughter of Lemon Drop Kid lit up the tote board when breaking her maiden at 97-1 odds on October 10 at Belmont Park and validated the effort when finishing a close second in the next-out Winter Memories on November 15 at Aqueduct.

Jockey Luis Saez will pilot High Opinion from post 1.

R Unicorn Stable's New York Girl has been multiple graded stakes placed since joining the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott last year and will seek a breakthrough victory in the Ballston Spa.

The 4-year-old daughter of New Approach was beaten by one length or less in three graded stakes events to kick off her 2021 season. After losing by one length in the Grade 3 Endeavor on February 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, she returned to the Oldsmar oval to finish third beaten three-quarters of a length one month later in the Grade 2 Hillsborough. In the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on May 1 at Churchill Downs, she closed late to finish second and miss by a half-length.

New York Girl arrives off a troubled fourth at allowance optional claiming level on August 1 over the Spa inner turf.

Breaking from post 4, New York Girl will be piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the winningest rider in the Ballston Spa with five victories.

Rounding out the field is Just In Time Racing's multiple stakes-placed Platinum Paynter, who was third in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 8 at Belmont Park and in the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial on July 6 at Parx Racing. Trained by Juan Vazquez, the daughter of Paynter made her 5-year-old debut when second to Regal Glory in the Plenty of Grace on April 24 at Aqueduct.

Jockey Jose Lezcano will ride from post 5.

The Ballston Spa is slated as Race 4 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Grade 1 Winners Vequist, Search Results Out For Remainder Of 2021

Two Grade 1-winning sophomore fillies have been sidelined for the remainder of 2021, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Vequist, last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies champion, had been preparing to return off a seven-month layoff this week, but an issue was discovered after her latest workout.

“She had a minor setback coming out of her last work and will be off for rest of the year,” trainer Butch Reid told DRF.

The 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist has only started once in 2021, running ninth in the G2 Davona Dale on Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park. She completed five workouts at Saratoga this summer, and Reid had planned to enter her in an allowance race on Thursday.

Search Results, winner of the G1 Acorn and a valiant second to Malathaat in the Kentucky Oaks, has also been taken out of training. Trainer Chad Brown said the filly, most recently third in the G1 Test Stakes, does not have any series issues. She just needs a break from the races.

“I'm really looking forward to running her in mile-and-an-eighth races next year,” Brown told DRF. “That was a really good race in the Oaks. If she can just get a couple of lengths faster as a 4-year-old, she's a real player in these mile-and-an-eighth races all over the place next year.”

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