Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Justify’s Half-Brother Stage Raider Could Target Dwyer

Justify's 3-year-old half-brother Stage Raider, a colt sired by Pioneerof the Nile, posted a workmanlike victory in an allowance race on Friday, May 14 at Belmont Park. He won the one-mile contest by three lengths in a final time of 1:38.22.

It was the second win from three starts for the John Gunther-owned homebred, and trainer Chad Brown told the Daily Racing Form that Stage Raider could be pointed to the G3 Dwyer Stakes on July 5 at Belmont for his graded stakes debut.

“The time wasn't going to turn any heads,” Brown told DRF of the allowance win. “He got a good education out of it, being down inside and going up the rail. Sometimes these kinds of horses that still need a little bit of seasoning, that's the most important part of running in these races, to get more experience.”

‘Always’ in Control: Malibu Moon Filly Romps to Rising Stardom at Belmont

Just two days after her superstar sire died at the age of 24, Three Chimneys Farm's Always Carina (Malibu Moon) followed up a highly-graded debut victory with a facile allowance/optional claiming romp at Belmont despite a troubled start, earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

Unveiled at a nickel below even-money over a muddy, sealed track Apr. 11 at Aqueduct, the homebred shook off some intense early pace pressure and splashed clear in the lane to a four-length success, earning a 94 Beyer. Returning with a quartet of local interim breezes, capped by an easy half-mile move in :49 3/5 (31/64) May 15, the dark bay was backed to 2-5 to stretch her speed out to a flat mile. Stumbling significantly, albeit forward, at the start, Always Carina led early while pressed by Jordan's Leo (Malibu Moon) through a :23.34 quarter with Malibu Curl (Curlin) close behind in third.

The latter rival made a quick three-wide bid for the front midway around the turn, but Jose Ortiz still rode the chalk with confidence passing the five-sixteenths pole. She proved that confidence well-founded once straightening for home, quickly skipping clear under her own power. It was only a matter of how far from there, and Always Carina glided past the post 9 3/4 lengths to the good of Stand by You (Munnings).

The winner has a juvenile Palace Malice half-sister and a yearling half-sister by Gun Runner. She is the second foal out of Miss Always Ready, a $400,000 Keeneland April purchase in 2014, following Structor (Palace Malice), GISW, $710,880. Miss Always Ready was bred back to Palace Malice once more last spring. Second dam Miss Seffens was a five-time stakes winner with a career-high 108 Beyer who ran fourth in the 2000 GI Kentucky Oaks.

7th-Belmont, $89,240, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 5-20, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:36.38, ft, 9 3/4 lengths.
ALWAYS CARINA f, 3, by Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Miss Always Ready, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Miss Seffens, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Noise Enough, by Bold Ruckus
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $94,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by TVG or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.

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Asmussen Takes Preakness Bonus

Steve Asmussen claimed the top prize of $50,000 for the third time in five years in the Maryland Jockey Club's $100,000 trainer bonus offered to horsemen for their participation in stakes races over Preakness weekend, May 14-15, at Pimlico Race Course. The Hall of Famer edged defending champion Mike Maker.

Asmussen started 11 horses in 10 stakes over the two days, finishing with 54 points. On May 15, he ran first and second with Mighty Mischief (Into Mischief) and Jaxon Traveler (Munnings) in the GIII Chick Lang S. and also finished second with Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the GI Preakness S., Strike Power (Speightstown) in the GIII Maryland Sprint S. and Casual (Curlin) in the Runhappy Skipat S. Boldor (Munnings) finished fourth for Asmussen in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint. Willful Woman (Nyquist)'s runner-up effort in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. was Asmussen's best finish with five horses on the May 14 program.

To be eligible, trainers had to run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races during Preakness weekend. Points were accumulated for finishing first (10), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and fifth through last (one).

This marked the fifth straight year the MJC has offered the trainer bonus program. Asmussen also earned the top prize in each of the first two years, 2017 and 2018.

Maker ran seven horses in six stakes and finished with 43 points for a $25,000 bonus. He won the Black-Eyed Susan with Army Wife (Declaration of War) and ran first and seventh with Last Judgment (Congrats) and Treasure Trove (Tapizar) in the Pimlico Special. On Preakness day, Maker won the GII Dinner Party S. Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) and Maryland Sprint with Special Reserve (Midshipman).

Graham Motion, who saddled GIII Gallorette S. winner Mean Mary (Scat Daddy), was third with 27 points and earned $12,000.

Brad Cox, the 2019 top bonus winner, had 24 points to finish fourth and earn $7,000. Rounding out the top finishers were Chad Brown with 14 points ($4,000) and Mike Trombetta with 12 points ($2,000).

Bonus money totaling $50,000 was also offered for trainers having the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend, with points accumulated in similar fashion. Trombetta and Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's winningest trainer the past four years, tied for first with 27 points and split the $35,000 top prize.

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‘Rising Star’ Stage Raider Makes It Two Straight at Belmont

8th-Belmont, $89,240, Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($80,000), 5-14, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.22, ft, 3 lengths.
STAGE RAIDER (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Stage Magic {Broodmare of the Year, GSP, $133,981}, by Ghostzapper) would have given those who backed him into 1-20 favoritism a bit of a scare in upper stretch, but he rallied through a tight spot at the fence to clear his first allowance condition Friday at Belmont. The half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy, Horse of the Year, Ch. 3yo Colt, MGISW, $3,798,000); and to The Lieutenant (Street Sense), GSW, $345,882, was popped away from the stalls by Eric Cancel, but then was eased back and rated along from fourth. A joint-last passing halfway, the Gunther homebred was slipped a bit of rein at the three-eighths and was just off the leaders' heels nearing the stretch. Though there appeared to be an option to ease back and around pacesetting Purple Hearted (Normandy Invasion) with a furlong and a half to travel, Cancel gambled up the paint, and though it took a few strides, Stage Raider hit the gap and kicked home to score by three lengths. A $950,000 buyback out of the 2019 Keeneland September sale, Stage Raider was a distant second to 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro) in a seven-furlong Gulfstream maiden Jan. 23 before earning the 'Rising Star' nod for a 10 3/4-length defeat of Harvard (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Keeneland slop Apr. 10. The latter, a full-brother to champion Classic Empire, returned to graduate easily at Indiana Grand May 13. Stage Magic, a Grade III-placed daughter of GI CCA Oaks third-place getter Magical Illusion (Pulpit), is the dam of a yearling filly by Curlin and was most recently bred back to thatstallion. Sales history: $950,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $106,170. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-John D Gunther (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

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