Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Powerhouse Stables Of Appleby, Brown Make Up Half The Field In Just A Game

Twelve stakes winners, including 11 graded/group stakes winners—all seeking their first turf Grade 1 score comprise the dozen entered in Saturday's $500,000 Longines Just a Game over one mile on the Widener turf course.

The powerhouse stables of Charlie Appleby and Chad Brown make up half of those in a race that has traditionally showcased some of the best turf females in training, including eight Breeders' Cup winners.

Trainer Charlie Appleby has sent out a mere 15 starters in North America since becoming a head conditioner for Godolphin in 2013, but has won with five of those and earned more than $2.9 million. A pair of grey 4-year-old fillies with stakes victories during Meydan Racecourse's 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival, Althiqa [post 8, Hall of Famer Mike Smith] and Summer Romance [post 9, Luis Saez], deserve plenty of respect shipping over from England.

Althiqa closed from last to land the one-mile Group 2 Cape Verdi in late January, knocking off her favored stablemate, who tired to fifth after making the running. Summer Romance would make amends three weeks later in the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine, running the field off its feet in gate-to-wire fashion. Althiqa checked in third.

While Althiqa is a homebred who has steadily ambled her way up the ranks, it is clear that Summer Romance—an $898,800 daughter of Kingman and half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Rizeena—has been held in slightly higher regard.

“They all travelled over well and have trained well since they've been there,” Appleby said. “There's been a little rain and the track's very wet this weekend. The fillies are fit and well and have plenty of experience under their belt. The reason we went to America is they carry Group 2 penalties here in Europe for the forthcoming season and the Group 1 older fillies races aren't until later in the year, anyway, so we thought it might be a good opportunity to get a Grade 1.”

Chad Brown's quartet is led by Peter Brant's Blowout [post 11, Flavien Prat], a gate-to-wire winner of the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile last out at Churchill Downs. A daughter of Dansili and French classic winner Beauty Parlour, she cured a case of seconditis in the process after completing the exacta in a trio of events, led by a nose loss in the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar.

“Flavien really gets along with her well,” Brown said. “We saw that in the Matriarch. He has great hands and she can be difficult, but he really gets along with her and timed it right. She likes this track very much. She ran one of the best races I've ever had a horse run in defeat that day [in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel, September 26], when she got away from Johnny [Velazquez] and went 44 [seconds for the half-mile] and kept going. I don't know how she was still there at the end. If she can settle at all, she has a good closing kick. She has run well on good ground in the past, but I prefer for it to be firm.”

Brant also entered Regal Glory [post 4, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano], fourth in this last year and cross-entered in Thursday's Grade 3 Intercontinental.

Brown's Grade 2 Sands Point-winner Tamahere [post 10, Jose Ortiz] kicked off her season with a respectable second in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 10. Owned by Swift Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, the daughter of in-form stallion Wootton Bassett appears primed for a top effort.

“This filly would be no shock to win this race, either,” Brown said. “She's going to really appreciate the cut back to a mile and she loves Belmont. She's been training very well and is a legitimate contender here.”

The fourth for Brown is Juddmonte's Pocket Square [post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.], who seeks to build off a strong American debut, winning by open lengths at Keeneland on April 7. By smart young stallion Night of Thunder, the chestnut 4-year-old makes her sixth start and owns a stakes win in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville in 2019.

“She's a pretty good horse and reminds me of some other talented horses I've had,” Brown said. “We did this with Antonoe, going from an allowance at Keeneland to the Just a Game, which she won. She's pretty good and we're lucky to have her. I think she's lined up for a good one.

“Interestingly, she shipped over last year to run in the Saratoga Oaks and she had an issue out of quarantine where she needed some time off,” Brown continued. “Fortunately, the team at Juddmonte did a fantastic job and sent her back to us this winter all healed up and healthy. We did our normal move, like (Bobby) Frankel would have done, which is take our time, find an allowance at Keeneland and then go from there. As impressive as she was in that race, she's come out of it and even taken it up another notch in her workouts. She's been exceptional.”

The three who finished directly astern Blowout in the Distaff Turf Mile—R Unicorn Stable's New York Girl [post 12, Junior Alvarado], Heider Family Stables' Zofelle [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione] and Apogee Racing's Abscond [post 7, Joel Rosario]—will hope to extinguish said rival this time around.

Joseph Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye [post 2, Jose Lezcano]—second in the Grade 3 Marshua's River in January to Zofelle—is cross-entered in Thursday's Intercontinental, while Repole Stable's Always Shopping [post 5, Hall of Famer John Velazquez] is cross-entered in Friday's Grade 2 New York.

Jim and Susan Hill's multiple Grade 1-placed Daddy Is a Legend [post 3, Manny Franco], who owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field [102], looks to improve upon her third-place finish in this event in 2019.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs from Thursday through Saturday, June 5, culminating with the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown. First post on Belmont Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m. Eastern

The Just a Game is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 13-race card.

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Brown To Saddle Four In Manhattan; Deep Field Also Includes Colonel Liam, Man O’ War Top Pair

Trainer Chad Brown will be loaded for bear in the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan, with four of the 10 horses entered running under his banner in the 1 1/4-mile inner turf test for 4-year-olds and up on Saturday, Belmont Stakes Day, at Belmont Park.

No stranger to success in the Manhattan, Brown will be looking for his third consecutive win – and seventh overall – in the prestigious race, which will be the final undercard contest as Race 10 before the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 11.

Brown's recent dominance in the race is underscored by the fact that a win in the 119th running of the Manhattan would not even be his first three-peat in the race. The four-time Eclipse Award-winner captured three straight editions of the Manhattan from 2014-16. His exploits in the race also include saddling the top three finishers in 2019 and the top two in 2020.

Brown's quartet all have the credentials to win, but that honor may go to Domestic Spending, a 4-year-old son of Kingman who made a successful 2021 debut in the Grade 1 Turf Classic on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Domestic Spending showed much promise as a 3-year-old, beginning his career with a first-out win in February 2020 at Tampa Bay Downs, before making steady strides throughout a sophomore campaign that culminated with a win in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on November 28. He still seemed to take his game to another level in the Turf Classic, rallying through traffic to dead-heat with the classy Colonel Liam for the win on Kentucky Derby Day.

“He seems to be doing really well and came out of his last race super,” Brown said of Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending, who will break from post 4 with Flavien Prat aboard again. “He's been breezing like a timepiece, so I think we're in good shape. He ran a faster race than the horse he dead-heated with in the Turf Classic. We're confident he'll run a good race.”

Chilean transplant Master Piece adds a bit of South American flavor to Brown's diverse lineup. Master Piece was a four-time winner in his native Chile, including a marquee win in the Group 2 Gran Clasico Coronacion at about this distance, before he joined the Brown barn late last year and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in his North American debut on October 3 at Belmont.

After receiving some time off following the Joe Hirsch, Master Piece returned on April 16 at Keeneland, where he defeated allowance competition by three-quarters of a length going 1 ⅛ miles with a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. He is owned by Don Alberto Stable and will break from post 5 with Javier Castellano in the irons.

Brown will also send out a pair of runners exiting the Grade 2 Fort Marcy, a local prep for the Manhattan. Fort Marcy-winner Tribhuvan was a late addition to the race, while third-place finisher Rockemperor will look to improve upon a runner-up finish in last year's Manhattan, which was won by his stablemate Instilled Regard.

Brown said he is hopeful an equipment change for Rockemperor could be what gets him back on track, as despite running well on a number of occasions he's yet to win a race in the U.S.

“What I'm going to do with him, finally, is put a little blinker on the horse,” Brown said. “He's funny because sometimes he'll drop out of position and look a little funny and lack that turn of foot in his races, but when you train him, he can be a little bit keen going to the pole, so then I end up not putting them on because of the way he trains. I'm going to put the blinkers on.

“Another horse who was like that was [2015 Manhattan-winner] Slumber,” Brown said. “When I first got him, he would go to the pole with an iron jaw and I'd say, maybe I don't want to do that, then I'd see him race and know that I needed to (add blinkers). We'll see with Rockemperor, it may help him move forward. Let's see how he runs with them. I did see an improved workout with them.”

Rockemperor and Tribhuvan will break from posts 6 and 8, respectively, with Jose Ortiz and Eric Cancel named to ride. Both are owned in partnership by Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, while Michael Kisber is also a part-owner of Rockemperor.

A winner of four straight races dating back to December 26 of last year, Turf Classic co-winner Colonel Liam will give Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher another strong chance to capture a Grade 1 event on Saturday. A son of Liam's Map owned by Robert and Lawana Low, Colonel Liam exploded onto the 3-year-old turf scene in 2020 when he made short work of an allowance field at Saratoga Race Course in his first try on the surface.

Colonel Liam nearly followed with a win a few weeks later in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, but he had to settle for fourth behind Domestic Spending. The Saratoga Derby marked the last time Colonel Liam has lost, and his victories in the intervening months include scores in the Grade 1 Pegasus Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park, as well as the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial in March at Fair Grounds.

“It's a very deep race and a very good race, arguably the strongest on the card,” said Pletcher of the Manhattan. “Colonel Liam is doing great and he's run well every time; we expect him to do the same again.

“I think he thought he had [the Turf Classic] won last time and he may have idled a touch when he got to the lead,” Pletcher added. “Depending on the pace scenario, I don't see too much pace. He may find himself closer and possibly on the lead. We'll play it by ear and let him do his thing.”

Colonel Liam will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from the outermost post 10.

Trainer Christophe Clement is a three-time Manhattan winner and will send out a pair of runners in Gufo and City Man. The former rose through the stakes ranks last year with Domestic Spending and Colonel Liam, two rivals he's well acquainted with. A 4-year-old son of Declaration of War, Gufo finished second to Domestic Spending in the Saratoga Derby and third in the Hollywood Derby, beaten a head and a neck, respectively, on those occasions. In his 2021 unveiling in the Grade 1 Man O' War over this turf course, the Otter Bend Stables color-bearer lodged yet another near miss, this time finishing second by a nose.

“He's doing very well,” Clement said of Gufo, who will enlist the services of Joel Rosario from post 9. “I worked him on Friday and he had a nice work. He's a nice horse. He ran very well in the Man o' War. The Manhattan is going to be a very tough race, it always is.”

The Manhattan wasn't originally the plan for New York-bred City Man, who was entered in the Kingston here on Memorial Day, but Clement was forced to call an audible when that race came off the turf. City Man, second last out in the Fort Marcy, will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post 1.

The upset winner of the Man o' War, Channel Cat, will also be back to try his luck in this spot. The Jack Sisterson and Calumet Farm product was given an aggressive ride by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the Man O' War, which seemed to make all the difference as the sputtering 6-year-old son of Kitten's Cat was able to stir the echoes and just outlast Gufo in the stretch.

“I'm only just getting to know the horse, but he seems to really be coming around in the short time I've had him,” said Sisterson, who took over Channel Cat's training in late 2020. “He was second in the Elkhorn and we wanted to give him time to come back for the Manhattan, but he put on 50 pounds after the Elkhorn and his coat was coming around. If horses could talk he was telling us he wanted to run again. So, we ran him back quick.”

Velazquez will again be aboard Channel Cat and the duo will depart from post 7.

Completing the field will be Masteroffoxhounds [post 3, Manuel Franco], who was eighth last out in the Turf Classic, and Bye Bye Melvin [post 2, Junior Alvarado], most recently fourth in the Grade 2 Dinner Party at Pimlico.

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Search Results Faces Dayoutoftheoffice In Compact Acorn Field

Traditionally one of America's premier races for sophomore fillies, Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn at Belmont Park has attracted a compact, quality field to tackle Big Sandy's one-turn mile.

Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm's Tim Hamm-trained Dayoutoftheoffice returns to the course and distance of her greatest triumph, last fall's Grade 1 Frizette, in what will be just her second start of the season. The daughter of Into Mischief defeated subsequently crowned champion Vequist that day, just four weeks before their places were swapped in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

The Siena Farm homebred returned on Kentucky Oaks Day, April 30, to finish a game second to Obligatory in Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Eight Belles over seven furlongs. In five starts, she has never finished worse than second and has three victories.

“She's doing great and coming in perfect,” Hamm said. “We worked her on Sunday morning and she went just as prescribed, doing exactly what we wanted. We are confident, but when you get to this level of racing, you need a good trip. She's coming into the race in good shape.

“She's always been a mature filly, even at two, and has been very good mentally,” Hamm continued. “She has put some body back on as a 3-year-old and the big thing about coming off the layoff with a filly is making sure they having the same ambition at three. We circled the Acorn as a target.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call from post 4.

“I think she'll be close to the pace. She's been tactical her whole career,” said Hamm.

Klaravich Stables' Search Results [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] will hope to optimize her second top-level attempt after losing last month's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks by a neck to divisional leader Malathaat. Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Flatter went into the Classic undefeated from three tries, including the Grade 3 Gazelle at the Big A.

“It's five weeks and [after the Kentucky Oaks] I said I'm going to point to the race under no pressure to run and Mr. Klarman was fine with whatever I wanted to do,” Brown said. “She's come back and worked really well. I've been doing this long enough to know that even if they work well, you're going to find out how they're really doing at the quarter-pole and how much the last race did or didn't affect them. I just can't pass on a race where she would be favorite in a Grade 1 and she's training this well. I am looking at the five weeks wishing I had a little more time for my own comfort, knowing what a hard stretch duel it was, but she's doing well.”

OXO Equine's Brad Cox-trained Travel Column [post 1, Florent Geroux], a dual graded stakes winner, was sent off as the second choice in the Kentucky Oaks, but faded to fifth after setting the pace. Topping this field's price tags—$850,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga—the daughter of Frosted cuts back to one turn for the first time since graduating on debut over six furlongs in September.
“She's a multiple Grade 2 winner and hopefully we can get her a Grade 1,” Cox said. “I like the cutback from a mile and an eighth to a one-turn mile. I think it'll be a positive for her. She's been training well. She's had three nice breezes since the Oaks. With a good setup, she can make a big impression on Saturday.”

Gary Barber's New York-bred Make Mischief [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione] was third in the Eight Belles after closing from mid-pack at long odds. The daughter of Into Mischief won the state-bred Maddie May Stakes at the Big A's one-turn mile. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, she is the most seasoned of the field, embarking on her 11th start.

“It's coming up pretty tough, but she ran a great race last time,” Casse said. “She's accomplished a fair amount already. She's graded stakes-placed and a stakes winner, but she doesn't have any Grade 1 type and that's what we're shooting for.”

Juddmonte's aforementioned Obligatory [post 2, Jose Ortiz] enters in top form for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, landing her second career win from four starts in the Eight Belles. The homebred daughter of Curlin broke her maiden over a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park and appears well-suited to the trip.

Ruthless Stakes winner Miss Brazil [post 3, Javier Castellano] completes the field, seeking her fourth victory and exiting a one-sided, gate-to-wire Belmont sprint allowance tally on April 23. She was second to Search Results in Aqueduct's Busher Invitational over a one-turn mile in March and posted a bullet-of-86 half-mile breeze in 47.40 last week.

The Acorn is slated as Race 5 on the 13-race card.

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Brown Hopes To Continue Intercontinental Dominance With Regal Glory, Publication

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown knows how to go the distance in the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental, having saddled three of its seven winners, including the first four home last year. On Thursday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., he returns with a potent pair in the seven-furlong turf test for fillies and mares, including last year's runner-up, Regal Glory, and an intriguing upstart, Publication.

The eighth running of the Intercontinental is one of three stakes on Thursday's nine-race card on Opening Day of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which concludes Saturday with a loaded nine-race card featuring eight Grade 1s, headlined by the 153rd Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets that concludes the Triple Crown series.

Peter Brant's Regal Glory parlayed last year's Intercontinental to a fourth-place finish in the G1 Longines Just a Game before capping her season with a gritty victory in the G3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes—both over one mile. Shortening to seven panels on the Widener course may be a welcome change for the 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Animal Kingdom, as she is 2-for-3 in sprints, with her lone loss being last year's Intercontinental.

Additionally, the likelihood of some give in the ground on Thursday will be advantageous, as six of her seven wins [from 12 starts] were over wet turf, including Aqueduct's Plenty of Grace on April 11.

“Regal Glory is doing super and she knows this race well,” Brown said. “With the forecast the way it is, and as you can see in her past performances, she handles soft ground very well. It could end up working out for her.”

Juddmonte's Publication is a lightly raced blueblood by Tapit out of Filimbi, a G2-winning daughter of Kentucky Oaks winner Flute who placed in four G1 races, including the Just a Game. The Intercontinental will be the 4-year-old's fourth career start, but first without a layoff, as she was an impressive allowance winner on April 24 at Aqueduct. Last July, she broke her maiden over this course and distance.

“We've thought a lot of Publication since the beginning,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, she's had a lot of interruptions in her development, but she's doing really well right now. She's a fiery filly with a lot of Tapit in her in a good way and is very forward in her training.

“She's all racehorse and every time she's there for you in her work,” he added. “I've been really looking forward to getting her into stakes races, but unfortunately because of some minor setbacks, I haven't been able to do it. This is the perfect opportunity at this distance. I don't know about the ground and don't yet have a feel for that with her. It looks like it's going to have some moisture and there's more rain in the forecast. She's out of a wonderful family and I've had a couple out of Filimbi that I like, including a 3-year-old colt.”

Regal Glory drew post 8 and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, while Publication will have the services of Hall of Famer Javier Castellano from the rail.

Shipping in for the capable Florida-based barn of Saffie Joseph Jr. is Joseph M. Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye. The 6-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa is seeking her ninth career victory and exiting a strong win in Gulfstream Park's listed Sand Springs on March 27. An allowance winner over this course when in the care of Tony Dutrow last August, she makes her third start for Joseph and will break from post 2 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

“She's a grand mare,” Joseph said. “She came to us with a proven resume. She ran two races for us already. Her first race she ran second with a credible effort and the second race [Sand Springs] she won well. I thought she improved a bit last out and ran close to her top numbers that day. I feel like she's sitting on a good race.

“We were in-between two minds of going to the Intercontinental or the Just a Game, but I think we're going into the Intercontinental as the first or second choice,” Joseph continued. “It would be a really nice race to win.”

Horseshoe Racing's Michelle Lovell-trained Change of Control, winner of Keeneland's Listed Giant's Causeway on April 10 and a strong runner-up 19 days later in Churchill Downs' Unbridled Sidney Stakes, must also be respected when she breaks from post 4 under Colby Hernandez.

Mike Maker-trained stakes winner I'llhandalthecash [post 7, Luis Saez] and local stakes alumni Madeleine Must [post 5, Joel Rosario] and Piedi Bianchi [post 6, Manny Franco] have also been entered. Last-out dirt allowance winners Subsidiary and Aunt Kat have been entered for the main-track-only.

The Intercontinental, slated as Race 6, is one of two graded stakes—along with the G3, $200,000 Wonder Again on Thursday's nine-race card. First post is 3:05 p.m. on the card that also features the $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Big Sandy.

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