Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

A Heater In the Turf Classic

Six months ago, Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was the leader of a very strong group of turf sophomores, having won the valuable Saratoga Derby over the summer before a year-ending defeat of Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) in the GI Hollywood Derby.

But while that one was given his winter's rest, Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), a progressive sort who finished within three-quarters of a length of Domestic Spending at the Spa last summer, had assumed 'King of the Hill' status, courtesy of a three-race skein that included the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in January and the GII Muniz Memorial S. Mar. 20. Saturday's renewal of acquaintances in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs lived up to expectations, as they hit the wire together and the judges could not split them.

Colonel Liam, a touch keen passing under the wire for the first time, found the perfect spot in the box seat, as Smooth Like Strait enjoyed a cheap time of things on the engine, doling out fractions of :24.40 for the opening couple of furlongs and an easy :49.17 beneath Umberto Rispoli. The second that pace-pressing Cross Border (English Channel) came under a Ricardo Santana, Jr. ride leaving the three-eighths pole, Colonel Liam was asked for a bit of acceleration from Irad Ortiz, Jr. and was pulled out into the two path to deliver his challenge. Colonel Liam was roused to the front a furlong from home, but Domestic Spending, given a quiet time of it towards the back of the field for the opening six furlongs, followed his stablemate and defending champion Digital Age (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) into the lane, shot the gap between the latter and a weakening Cross Border, was steered out and around Colonel Liam as Smooth Like Strait hung to his right and hit the line on even terms.

Pedigree Notes:

Colonel Liam is the one of six graded winners and three Grade I winners for Liam's Map and is bred on the same cross as 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper. Colonel Liam is one of two winners from four to race for his dam, an unraced daughter of the Phillipses MGISW turf distaffer Wonder Again, whose full-brother Grass Wonder was the champion 2-year-old of his generation in Japan and later won the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 meters (11 furlongs) and the 2500-meter (12.5-furlong) Arima Kinen on two occasions before embarking on a stud career. This is also the same female family responsible for GSW Hopeful Growth (Tapiture). Amazement is the dam of Colonel Liam's 3-year-old half-sister Lovely Dee (Shackleford), a juvenile colt by Tapiture and a yearling colt by the late Arrogate, like Liam's Map a son of Unbridled's Song. She most recently visited Copper Bullet (More Than Ready).

Domestic Spending is the lone produce for his stakes-winning dam (died 2017), a daughter of G3 Nell Gywn S. winner and MG1SP Cloud Castle (GB) (In the Wings {GB}), whose GSW Queen's Best (GB) (King's Best) produced GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Domestic Spending's third dam includes a plethora of high-class gallopers, including MG1SWs Warrsan (Ire) (Caerleon) and Luso (GB) (Salse) and MGSW & MG1SP Needle Gun (Ire) (Sure Blade).

Saturday, Churchill Downs
OLD FORESTER BOURBON TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,000,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.99, fm.
(DH)-1–COLONEL LIAM, 124, c, 4, by Liam's Map
                1st Dam: Amazement, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Wonder Again, by Silver Hawk
                3rd Dam: Ameriflora, by Danzig
($50,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR).
O-Lawana L. & Robert E. Low; B-Phillips Racing Partnership
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $393,600. Lifetime
Record: 8-6-0-1, $1,264,565. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
(DH)-1–DOMESTIC SPENDING (GB), 124, g, 4, by Kingman (GB)
                1st Dam: Urban Castle (SW-Eng), by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Cloud Castle (GB), by In the Wings (GB)
                3rd Dam: Lucayan Princess (Ire), by High Line (GB)
(300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien
Prat. $393,600. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-1, $914,500. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
3–Smooth Like Strait, 120, c, 4, Midnight Lute–Smooth as
Usual, by Flower Alley. O-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC;
B-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy.
$96,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 1HF. Odds: 1.40, 5.90, 7.10.
Also Ran: Count Again, Digital Age (Ire), Ivar (Brz), Cross Border, Masteroffoxhounds, Ride a Comet.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. Click for Colonel Liam's free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for Domestic Spending's free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Tribhuvan Returns In Style To Take G2 Fort Marcy

The 10-month layoff was no issue for Tribhuvan, who shook off the rust with a 1 1/2-length victory going wire-to-wire in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older horses at Belmont Park.

Owned by Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, Tribhuvan was one of three Fort Marcy aspirants trained by Chad Brown, who also sent out Rockemperor and Devamani.

Tribhuvan made his first start since posting a narrow allowance optional claiming score over graded stakes winner Ballagh Rocks on July 4 at Belmont over the Widener turf course. The victory was a fourth lifetime win, and first at graded stakes level for the French-bred son of Toronado, who won twice in his native land for former conditioner Henri-Alex Pantall. He competed in last year's edition of the Fort Marcy, but was pulled up in mid-stretch after a buckle on his reins broke when hitting the gate at the start.

Tribhuvan broke sharply from post three under Eric Cancel, and commanded the field into the first turn with a six-length advantage through an opening quarter-mile in 23.56 seconds and the half-mile in 47.89 over the firm turf.

Down the backstretch, the field began gaining on the frontrunner, with New York-bred stakes-winner City Man poised to pounce in second along the hedge with Wissahickon to his outside.

Cancel was relaxed aboard his charge until upper stretch when he gave Tribhuvan his cue. City Man made a bid but was unable to catch the leader who completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.11. City Man finished another two lengths clear of third-place finisher Rockemperor.

Completing the order of finish were Devamani, winner of last year's G2 Knickerbocker, and Wissahickon.

“They said they wanted me to go, and I did what I was told to do,” said Cancel, whose first graded stakes triumph came aboard Smooth Daddy in the 2017 Fort Marcy. “The trip worked out very well. I settled on the pace and got my horse to relax. He made a really nice run from the quarter-pole to the wire.”

Brown won his fourth consecutive Fort Marcy – and fifth overall – adding to a list which includes Big Blue Kitten [2015], Robert Bruce [2018], Olympico [2019] and Instilled Regard [2020].

Tribhuvan, along with Brown's other two runners, were saddled by his assistant Dan Stupp.

“I expected all three to run well as they all had trained well,” Stupp said. “The winner got a little lost in the wagering but he's a horse last year that we had high hopes for. He had a little trouble in this race last year when the buckle on the rein broke coming out of the gate, so it was nice to see him come back and start the year off the right way.

“There was no pace on paper and he's a horse that's very sharp in his training,” Stupp added. “He has a lot of energy and he was the logical horse to let him have his head a little bit and go to the front and back it down a bit. Eric did a great job executing that plan.”

Tribhuvan, who returned $22.40 as the longest shot in the field, improved his record to 17-4-2-3 and nearly doubled his lifetime earnings to $221,154.

Dan Stupp, assistant to trainer Chad Brown of winner Tribhuvan (No. 3, Tribhuvan, $22.40), third-place Rockemperor (No. 2) and fourth-place Devamani (No.1): “I expected all three to run well as they all had trained well. The winner got a little lost in the wagering but he's a horse last year that we had high hopes for. He had a little trouble in this race last year when the buckle on the rein broke coming out of the gate, so it was nice to see him come back and start the year off the right way.”

On sending Tribhuvan to the lead: “There was no pace on paper and he's a horse that's very sharp in his training. He has a lot of energy and he was the logical horse to let him have his head a little bit and go to the front and back it down a bit. Eric [Cancel] did a great job executing that plan.”

Eric Cancel, winning jockey aboard Tribhuvan (No. 3): “They said they wanted me to go and I did what I was told to do. The trip worked out very well. I settled on the pace and got my horse to relax. He made a really nice run from the quarter-pole to the wire.”

Trevor McCarthy, jockey aboard runner-up City Man (No. 4): “I can't knock him. He got a great trip. It was a fast pace in front of us and every time I got to Chad's horse [Tribhuvan], he seemed to have a little bit more. My horse was coming off a little bit of a layoff, so I was happy with him.”

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Blowout Scores Front-Running Victory In Churchill Distaff Turf Mile

In each of her last seven starts, Chad Brown-trained Blowout was in front in the early stages of her races, so it was not surprising to see jockey Flavien Prat put Peter Brant's 5-year-old Dansili mare in front when the field raced past the Churchill Downs grandstand for the first time in Saturday's Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in Louisville, Ky.

When the field reached the far turn, with about three-eights of a mile to run, Blowout had opened a commanding lead of about eight lengths. It wasn't insurmountable, however, as the field began to close in on Blowout at the top of the stretch. New York Girl and Abscond looked as though they might run past the front-runner, and then New York Girl came flying late.

But Prat had just enough horsepower left to get to the finish in front with Blowout, crossing the wire with a half-length to spare in 1:36.30 for the one mile on firm turf. The fractions were :24.28, :48.39, 1:12.99 and 1:24.71. Irish-bred New York Girl, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by John Velazquez, finished second, a head in front of Brendan Walsh-trained Zofelle, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., The latter nosed out Abscond, who finished fourth, with Got Storm fifth and She's Got You sixth. Jakarta was scratched.

Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, Blowout paid $5.80 for the win.

“She was running so easy up front and I thought the times were not that fast, so I was very happy,” said Prat. “Then when we came to the eighth pole, they all came after me and it looked like they might go by. But when she saw them, she regrouped and fired up again and we won it.”

Bred in England by the Wildenstein family's Dayton Investments Ltd., Blowout was produced from Deep Impact mare Beauty Parlour, winner of the 2012 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas). She was purchased by Brant as a foal in Ireland at the Goffs November Sale in 2016.

“She has a tendency to wait on horses and we preferred to have a target but when the 1 scratched she found herself on the lead,” said Brown. “I thought Flavien did an excellent job settling her down, as you can see, she can be a little difficult to handle. I thought once they turned for home they were going to close in again and she was going to wait for horses but he said when she had the horses behind her, she kicked in again, thankfully. It's very rare for me (to have a horse build a big lead), as you know a lot of my horses come from off the pace but we learned with this horse to let her do her thing and that's where she wants to be. Mr. Brant was really determined to get a Grade 1 with her, it's a wonderful family; he owns the mother. She was so close in the Matriarch and she did what Blowout does when she makes the lead, she waits on horses. A lot of her defeats are not due to fatigue it's that she likes to wait on horses. She can be difficult; she wants to be forward, and she pulls, but she's actually better with a target. And it's hard to find two-turn races for her with a target because she's so fast. She had it momentarily in the Matriarch but when she surged to the lead, she lost it and waited. I thought that might happen today turning for home; as easy as the fractions were for her, :48, you'd think she'd be gone, and sure enough they closed in on her because she will wait for horses. I thought they'd (the others) be a little closer than that. I was surprised with how far in front she was at one point. But guided by the fractions, looking at it, from a stamina point there was no issue. At that point it was mental. She'll be heading to the Just a Game at Belmont next.”

Winner of three races, with seven seconds and one third from 11 starts, including the Wild Applause Stakes and Pebbles Stakes at Belmont Park in 2019, the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile was her first graded stakes score.

Prat first rode Blowout in her most recent start, the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar last Nov. 29, where she lost by a nose to Brown stablemate Viadera.

Owner Peter Brant (right) with Blowout and jockey Flavien Prat

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Blowout Breaks Through In Distaff Turf Mile

After four straight tough beats, speedster Blowout opened up a big lead early and dug down late to belatedly make the grade. A two-time listed winner at three, Blowout was also either second or third that year–always beaten less than a length–in the GIII Florida Oaks, GIII Lake George S., GII Lake Placid S. and GIII Valley View S. Second again in a Saratoga allowance last August, the bay was beaten that margin by stablemate Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 26, and by just a nose in the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar Nov. 29.

Piloted for the second-straight time by California-based Flavien Prat, the Chad Brown trainee glided to the front with no resistance, immediately opening up some five lengths into the first turn. She seemed keen, but wasn't going overly quick through splits of :24.28, :48.39 and 1:12.99. The cavalry charge drew closer in the stretch, and Blowout looked to be in deep water, but she kept finding a little bit more to hold on.

“She was running so easy up front and I thought the times were not that fast, so I was very happy,{ Prat said. “Then when we came to the eighth pole, they all came after me and it looked like they might go by. But when she saw them, she regrouped and fired up again and we won it.”

Brown added, “She has a tendency to wait on horses and we preferred to have a target but when [Jakarta] scratched she found herself on the lead. I thought Flavien did an excellent job settling her down, as you can see, she can be a little difficult to handle. I thought once they turned for home they were going to close in again and she was going to wait for horses but he said when she had the horses behind her, she kicked in again, thankfully. It's very rare for me [to have a horse build a big lead], as you know a lot of my horses come from off the pace, but we learned with this horse to let her do her thing and that's where she wants to be.”

The GI Just a Game S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 5 will be next.

“[Owner Peter] Brant was really determined to get a Grade I with her, it's a wonderful family; he owns the mother. She was so close in the Matriarch and she did what Blowout does when she makes the lead, she waits on horses. A lot of her defeats are not due to fatigue it's that she likes to wait on horses. She can be difficult; she wants to be forward, and she pulls, but she's actually better with a target. And it's hard to find two-turn races for her with a target because she's so fast.”

Saturday, Churchill Downs
LONGINES CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE S.-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:36.30, fm.
1–BLOWOUT (GB), 118, m, 5, by Dansili (GB)
1st Dam: Beauty Parlour (GB) (G1SW-Fr, $713,308), by Deep Impact (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Bastet (Ire), by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Benediction (Ire), by Day Is Done (Ire)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€450,000 Wlg '16 GOFNOV).
O-Peter M. Brant; B-Dayton Investments Ltd. (GB); T-Chad C.
Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $306,900. Lifetime Record: 12-4-7-1,
$718,600. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–New York Girl (Ire), 118, f, 4, New Approach (Ire)–Annee
Lumiere (Ire), by Giant's Causeway. (32,000gns Wlg '17
TATFOA). O-R Unicorn Stable; B-P. F. Kelly & Peter Kelly (IRE);
T-William I. Mott. $99,000.
3–Zofelle (Ire), 118, m, 5, Zoffany (Ire)–Height of Elegance (Ire),
by Galileo (Ire). (27,000gns 3yo '19 TATJUL). O-Heider Family
Stables LLC; B-Fullbury & Minch Bloodstock (IRE); T-Brendan P.
Walsh. $49,500.
Margins: HF, HD, NO. Odds: 1.90, 8.20, 2.50.
Also Ran: Abscond, Got Stormy, She's Got You (GB). Scratched: Jakarta.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Blowout is the 86th grade/group winner for pensioned super sire Dansili; and 10th, of what will be many more, for late Deep Impact as a broodmare sire. Dam Beauty Parlour took the 2012 G1 French One Thousand Guineas and was second in the G1 French Oaks. The daughter of French SW/MGSP Bastet and full to SW/MGSP Barocci (Jpn) topped the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale at €1.6 million, selling to Brant while in foal to Kingman (GB) and as part of the Wildenstein Stables dispersal. Brant's White Birch purchased Blowout for €450,000 during the foal portion of the same auction. Beauty Parlour produced Galileo fillies in both 2019 and 2020. She hails from the extended female family of champions Might and Power (NZ) and Lucky Owners (NZ).

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