Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

McPeek, Gaffalione’s Agent Pointing Fingers Over Preakness Decision With Swiss Skydiver

Tyler Gaffalione rode top 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver to win the G1 Alabama and then to a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, and according to her trainer Ken McPeek, was scheduled to ride her in her next start, as well. This week, McPeek told the Thoroughbred Daily News that Gaffalione's agent, Matt Muzikar, had reneged on their agreement.

“I announced that we're going to run in the Preakness and Tyler was on board,” McPeek said on the podcast. “By maybe 6:00 that night, his agent tells us that he can't ride. And I'm like, 'Look, you've given us a two-race commitment [GI Kentucky Oaks and Preakness].' He said, 'Oh well, sorry, I've got to ride for Chad Brown at Keeneland.' I said, 'You can't do this. It's dishonorable.' I've been doing this for 35 years and I've never had something like that happen. I still find it dishonorable. Shame on Tyler Gaffalione and his agent.”

Muzikar responded Friday, telling TDN that McPeek had informed him, nine days prior, that Swiss Skydiver would be running in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland, held on the day after this year's Preakness Stakes. Thus, Muzikar began booking Gaffalione mounts for Keeneland that weekend.

When McPeek announced that he planned to run the filly in the Preakness at Pimlico instead, seven days ahead of the race, Muzikar wasn't able to get out of his commitments at Keeneland on Saturday. McPeek wound up giving the Preakness call on Swiss Skydiver to Robby Albarado, who won the race.

“What did he expect us to do? Not take business for the Preakness card or at Keeneland and sit there and wait for Kenny McPeek because the world revolves around him?” Muzikar said. “Knocking me and the jockey, he crossed a line.

“Tyler had nothing to do with this whole situation, so I don't like him knocking the jockey. Tyler is the greatest kid and the greatest jock I have had in the 26 years I have been doing this. He did nothing to him.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Sands of ‘Summer’

Sophomore fillies take center stage in the GII Sands Point S. at Belmont Saturday and among leading contenders in the eight-furlong event is Waterford Stable’s Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front). Victorious in last fall’s Chelsey Flower S. at the Big A, she kicked off 2020 with a fourth-place finish in Belmont’s Wonder Again S. in June before realizing a head score in Saratoga’s GII Lake Placid S. July 19. Rank in the early going of the Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. at 9 1/2 furlongs Aug. 16, the Christophe Clement trainee finished fourth behind Antoinette (Hard Spun) and cuts back in this return. Joel Rosario, aboard for her three latest starts, gets the call in the Sands Point.

“The filly is doing great. She’s working well and looks well. I’m excited to see her run,” said Clement. “I think she’s very versatile from a mile to a mile and a quarter. I don’t see the distance as a negative, I think she’s perfectly OK with it.”

Klaravich Stables’ Selflessly (More Than Ready) attempts to add her third graded tally Saturday for trainer Chad Brown.

A winner in last season’s 8 1/2-furlong GII Miss Grillo S., she closed out the year with a fifth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Filling that same position in her 2020 return in the GIII Wonder Again S. in June, the Maryland-bred was given some time off before resuming with a nose score in Saratoga’s

GIII Lake George S. Aug. 28. Jose Ortiz, winning at 25% at the Belmont meet, accompanies the filly for the first time.

“Selflessly is doing really well coming off a nice win last time out,” said Brown.

Brown is also represented by Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), making her U.S. debut following a listed score at La Teste De Buch in France in June. The French-bred will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

The post Sands of ‘Summer’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Brown-Trained Duo Selflessly, Tamahere Headline Saturday’s Sands Point Stakes

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of contenders led by multiple graded-stakes winner Selflessly and French-bred Tamahere as the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner looks to secure his fourth win in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

Saturday's blockbuster card includes four Grade 1, Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” challenge races led by the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 ¼-mile test for 3-year-olds and up offering a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic; the $300,000 Champagne at one-mile for 2-year-olds providing a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the $250,000 Flower Bowl at 10-furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up with a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on the line; and the $250,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Klaravich Stables' Selflessly, a dark bay daughter of More Than Ready purchased for $190,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated in style at second asking in the 2019 Grade 2 Miss Grillo on the Belmont turf ahead of a fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to close out her campaign.

Selflessly stumbled at the start of her seasonal debut when fifth in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 20 at Belmont, but returned to form last out when a nose winner of the one-mile Grade 3 Lake George at Saratoga on Aug. 28, when besting multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania.

Selflessly has breezed four times on the Oklahoma training turf following the Lake George, including a five-eighths effort in 1:02.85 on Oct. 3.

“Selflessly is doing really well coming off a nice win last time out,” said Brown.

Bred in Maryland by George Louis Doetsch, Jr, Selflessly is out of the Grand Slam mare Uniformly Yours and is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Enchanted Ghost.

Swift Thoroughbreds' Tamahere, by Wootton Bassett and out of the Giant's Causeway mare Alatasarai, posted a record of 6-2-2-1 in her native France for former conditioner Francois Rohaut.

She captured the Prix la Sorellina on June 18 at La Teste Buche last out over one mile of soft going before shipping to Brown's stable at Saratoga for a trio of works. The French-bred bay has posted her last two works on the inner turf at Belmont, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.40 on Sunday.

Jose Ortiz will pilot Selflessly from post 3, while Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call aboard Tamahere from the inside post as Brown looks to add to a Sands Point winner's ledger that includes Ball Dancing [2014], Uni [2017] and New and Improved [2019.]

Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer will turn back in distance following a Saratoga summer campaign that saw the Summer Front bay capture the nine-furlong Grade 2 Lake Placid on July 19 ahead of a fourth in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Aug. 16.

Speaktomeofsummer has posted a trio of works at Belmont following the Saratoga Oaks, including a half-mile effort on the inner turf in 50.60 on Sunday.

“The filly is doing great. She's working well and looks well. I'm excited to see her run,” said Clement.

A maiden winner at second asking on the Monmouth Park turf in September 2019, Speaktomeofsummer rallied for a two-length win in the one-mile Chelsey Flower in November on the Big A turf.

Clement said the turnback in distance won't bother his filly.

“I think she's very versatile from a mile to a mile and a quarter. I don't see the distance as a negative, I think she's perfectly OK with it,” said Clement.

Out of the graded-stakes winning Harlan's Holiday mare Silver Reunion, Speaktomeofsummer was purchased for $135,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 2.

Maxis Stable, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Miss J McKay will look to make the grade for trainer Cathal Lynch. The Hangover Kid bay, who boasts a record of 8-2-4-2 with purse earnings of $208,553, crossed the wire first at second asking in the five-furlong 2019 Colleen at Monmouth but was disqualified and placed third for interference. The talented filly made amends next out in the 5 1/2-furlong Ann Arundel County when surging to a five-length score over next-out winners Queen of Shades and Bella Aurora.

Bred in Maryland by Linda Oliff Rohleder, Miss J McKay has posted a perfect in-the-money record in three sophomore stakes sprints including a third in the six-furlong Lady Shipman in June at Belmont; a second in the 5 1/2-furlong Coronation Cup in July at Saratoga; and a second last out in the 6 ½-furlong Music City on Sept. 15 at Kentucky Downs.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call aboard Miss J McKay from post 5 as she stretches out in distance for the first time.

Rounding out the field are New York-bred allowance winner Giacosa [post 4, Luis Saez] for trainer H. James Bond; Positive Power [post 6, Manny Franco], a veteran of 17 career starts for trainer John McAllen; Pure Wow [post 7, Jose Lezcano], a maiden winner for trainer John Terranova; and the stakes-placed Drop a Hint [post 8, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Antonio Arriaga.

The Grade 2 Sands Point is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Kelso Winner Complexity, First Lady Winner Uni Will Prepare For Breeders’ Cup Engagements In New York

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown won a pair of graded races on Saturday taking the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park with Breeders' Cup-bound Complexity and the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland with reigning Champion Turf Female Uni.

Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Complexity earned a career-best 110 Beyer for his prominent score in the one-turn mile Kelso in which he got the jump on multiple Grade 1-winner Code of Honor, who had to settle for second.

Brown said Complexity will now point to the two-turn Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, although he will also nominate the 4-year-old Maclean's Music colt to the six-furlong Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He ran super yesterday,” said Brown. “I'm pointing him towards the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. I think six furlongs might be a little quick for him, but I'll keep him eligible for both races.”

A five-time winner from nine starts, Complexity captured the 2018 Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Forego on August 29 contested during a rainstorm over a sloppy and sealed Saratoga main track.

Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables' Uni earned a 99 Beyer in her successful title defense in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland. The 6-year-old More Than Ready chestnut overtook stablemate Newspaperofrecord in deep stretch to secure her fourth career Grade 1 win with a one-length score over Beau Recall, who nosed out Newspaperofrecord for place.

Brown said Uni will return to Belmont to prepare to defend her title in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile against the boys on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“Uni ran really well and we'll bring her back here to train up to the final start of her career in the Breeders' Cup Mile,” said Brown. “Hopefully, she can defend her title.”

Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord, who captured the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, has enjoyed a productive 4-year-old campaign with wins in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6 and the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 27, both at Belmont.

Brown said the Irish-bred daughter of Lope de Vega could target the Grade 1 Matriarch, a one-mile turf test on November 29 at Del Mar.

“Newspaper will come back here and I'll talk to Seth Klarman about if we want to run her one more time or not this year,” said Brown. “If we do, it would be in the Matriarch. We could just rest her.”

Brown said Newspaperofrecord is likely to return to the races as a 5-year-old.

“I would say probably if she is in good health we'd like to run her another year,” said Brown.

Brown breezed a number of upcoming stakes starters on the Belmont inner turf on Sunday morning, including the Peter Brant-owned 2018 Champion Turf Female Sistercharlie, who went five-eighths in 1:02.88.

The breeze took place less than an hour before the Brant-owned Sottsass, Sistercharlie's 4-year-old half-brother by Siyouni, captured the prestigious Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Sottsass is trained by Jean-Claude Rouget.

“I'm so happy for Peter,” said Brown. “It's a race he's wanted to win for a long time. He kept him over there this year to point for that race and I'm so happy that it worked out. It's an incredible family.”

Both Sistercharlie, a seven-time Grade 1-winner, and Sottsass are out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, who also produced the Group/Graded winner My Sister Nat, a 5-year-old Acclamation mare who captured the Grade 3 Waya in August for Brown and Brant.

Sistercharlie, who ran third in both the Grade 2 Ballston Spa and Grade 1 Diana this summer at Saratoga, will look to secure the first win of her 6-year-old campaign in Saturday's 10-furlong Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl which offers a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland.

“The breeze went good,” said Brown. “She's running back into form. Her last race was an acceptable one. She got a late start this year but I think she'll run well.”

Sistercharlie is likely to square off with stablemates Cambier Parc and Nay Lady Nay in the Flower Bowl.

OXO Equine's multiple Grade 1-winner Cambier Parc worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 Sunday on the Belmont inner turf.

“She breezed good. She'll run in Flower Bowl,” said Brown.

The Medaglia d'Oro bay, out of Canada's 2007 Horse of the Year Sealy Hill, captured the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last year in a sophomore campaign that also included wins in the Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont and the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park.

First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm's Irish-bred Nay Lady Nay, a multiple graded-stakes winning 4-year-old daughter of No Nay Never worked a half-mile in 49 flat on Saturday on the Monmouth Park main track.

Nay Lady Nay made the grade last year in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs and on July 18 added the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth to her ledger.

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