Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Brown 1-2-4 In Matchmaker, Led by Irish-Bred Nay Lady Nay

Trainer Chad Brown sent out the first-, second- and fourth-place finishers in the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Saturday, with Irish-bred Nay Lady Nay defeating stablemate Beautiful Lover by a half length as the 2.20-1 favorite. Christophe Clement-trained Feel Glorious finished third, with Brown's Tapit Today fourth in the field of seven fillies and mares.

Nay Lady Nay, ridden by Paco Lopez, was timed in 1:46.21 for 1 1/8 miles on a firm turf course.

A 4-year-old by No Nay Never, Nay Lady Nay was winning for the fourth time in seven career starts. The Matchmaker was her second graded stakes win, having won the G2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs on yielding turf last Nov. 29.

No Nay Never races for First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm.

Valedictorian set the pace, chased throughout by Tapit Today, who opened up as many as six lengths on Nay Lady Nay before reaching the far turn. Fractions were :23.62, :47.68 and 1:10.94 for the first six furlongs, with the mile clocked in 1:34.25.

“I won with her twice last year, once at Monmouth and once at Parx,” said Lopez. “So I remembered her and her running style. When Beautiful Lover started coming with me I was a little concerned because I know that is a good horse. I was able to let my horse settle most of the way. She likes to come from off the pace. They were going pretty fast up front so I wasn't really worried when the two (frontrunners) looked like they were getting away. She responded very well when I asked her. She's a nice filly. She really has a strong finish. I just had to find the room for her in the stretch. Once I did she was fine.”

Luis Cabrera, assistant to Chad Brown, said: “All three fillies we had in here ran really good. Respect to all of them. I thought Beautiful Lover was going to keep going by all of them. But the winner had a really good trip. Paco Lopez gave this horse a great ride. Her last race she got in a little trouble and it was her first start of the year (eighth in the G3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs May 30). This time she got a perfect trip. She's a really good, classy filly. She has talent. That's always important. She broke her maiden at Monmouth Park so we knew she liked the turf here.”

In addition to their share of the $150,000 purse, the top three finishers are awarded stallion seasons to either Exaggerator, Take Charge Indy and Yoshida from WinStar Farm.

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Bejarano ‘Really Happy’ To Be Back At Ellis Park, Winning In Bunches

Rafael Bejarano wants to remind people that he's back in Kentucky after 13 years in California. The jockey's fast start at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., is a good way to do it.

Bejarano, who won the 2003 and 2004 Ellis Park riding crown and 14 meet titles throughout Kentucky, returned to the state this spring to ride at Churchill Downs. He won five races opening week at the RUNHAPPY Summer Meet at Ellis Park and captured another three Friday as racing resumed following a week off while Keeneland ran a five-day meet to make up for the COVID cancelation of the Lexington track's spring meet.

Bejarano won the first race on Sum Overture ($18.40) for trainer Gary House, the third on favored Into the Sunrise ($5.60) for Wesley Ward and the eighth on All West ($15.40) for Ron Moquett. That's good for a meet-leading eight wins, to go along with three seconds and six thirds out of 30 starts — a 27-percent win clip over the first five days.

“I'm really happy. I love this place,” said Bejarano, whose agent is former jockey Julio Espinoza. “It always was one of my favorite places here at Ellis Park. A lot of people just have to know me, just have to remember me. Julio has been doing a really good job, picking the right horses. We've been winning with long shots but it's not about the favorite – it's about the right horses.

“I'm really excited to see how it's going to be ending at this meet. There are a lot of good riders here, a lot of competition. I'm looking forward to finding good horses, coming back to Kentucky and having a little more opportunity than there was in California. The trainers are giving me support, a chance. We're getting busy, and hopefully this weekend we'll have more winners coming up.”

Moquett is among the trainers Bejarano rode for when his career was taking off in Kentucky.

“It's amazing to look up and see the caliber of jockeys that are here right now,” Moquett said. “Having someone like Rafe, who I have experience with and I know his resume, it gives you a lot of confidence. You know whenever you give him a leg up, you're going to get an effort every time.

“It's tough. With Corey Lanerie, Shaun Bridgmohan, Miguel Mena, Julien Leparoux, all these guys are awesome riders. For him to do that (win a bunch of races) back in the day is one thing. But to do it now with all these jockeys that are here — Joe Talamo — I mean, I'd like to see how many of these jockeys have won meets everywhere. To do it against this calibre of competition is probably under-appreciated.”

James Graham is second in the standings with five wins out of 18 mounts. He was unable to ride Friday because his COVID-19 test results did not come back in time. Jockeys and the jockey-room valets were required to have a negative COVID-19 test taken within the prior 48 hours as racing resumed at Ellis Park following the week of racing at Keeneland. Jockeys who leave Kentucky to ride elsewhere must show another negative test upon their return. Out-of-state jockeys wishing to ride at Ellis Park also must have a negative test within 48 hours of race day in order to participate.

Record-setting trainer Chad Brown had his first starter ever at Ellis Park as Shadwell Stable's Motagally finished second to Gus King's All West in the eighth race, a $38,000 allowance race at a mile on dirt. Brown is a regular at Keeneland and has been major presence at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby Week. However, this year he has added a Kentucky division based at Churchill that is overseen by Whit Beckman, a Louisville product and 2000 graduate of St. Xavier High School. Beckman said the stable might have a couple more horses to run at Ellis Park.

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‘She Kept Fighting All The Way’: Indian Pride Proves Best In Shine Again

Brereton C. Jones' homebred Indian Pride ensured trainer Chad Brown swept Friday's stakes double, fending off Blamed in deep stretch to register a half-length victory in the $85,000 Shine Again for older fillies and mares on Friday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Indian Pride's third victory in four career starts gave Brown his third consecutive win on the card, which started when he conditioned Viadera and Noor Sahara to a 1-2 finish in the $85,000 De La Rose.

Following Lady Lawyer's allowance win in Race 8, Saratoga's reigning two-time leading trainer completed the natural hat trick in the Shine Again. Indian Pride broke alertly under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, leading the nine-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 23.13 seconds and the half in 46.06 on the main track rated fast.

Entering the turn, Joy Epifora briefly took command in front of Indian Pride, though Castellano encouraged his charge and quickly regained the advantage staying near the rail. But Blamed, the multiple graded stakes-winner trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, surged from her outside in the final furlong. The duo linked up and ran eye-to-eye in the final sixteenth before Indian Pride pulled away to complete the seven-furlong sprint in a 1:21.63 final time, capturing her first career stake.

“It was a really good ride the way he stayed off the fence a bit and avoided getting hooked by the other speed and just let her do her thing out in the center of the track,” Brown said. “That was our plan in the paddock and Javier executed it. And what about the filly – the heart she showed? Most horses would give up and I think we really should give all credit to her.”

Off as the 2-1 favorite, Indian Pride returned $6 on a $2 win bet. The 4-year-old Proud Citizen filly improved her career bankroll to $157,550, returning to the site where she broke her maiden by eight lengths last August. Her only non-win came with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Raven Run to cap her sophomore campaign in October at Keeneland.

“She showed what she's made of today. I was really proud of her effort,” Brown said. “She's always been a horse that had immense talent. When she broke her maiden here last summer it was breathtaking really, arguably the most impressive win we had last year. She's had some bumps and bruises along the way in terms of the interrupted schedule, but now she has two straight races under her belt and I hope to have her for the whole season.”

Castellano improved to 3-for-3 riding Indian Pride.

“She's an unbelievable filly. I have to give all the credit to Mr. Brown. He put a lot of time and patience into her and it has really paid off,” Castellano said. “You can see the development with the horse. Last time it was six and a half furlongs at Belmont, now she's stretching out to seven furlongs.

“I really like the way she fought for me today,” he continued. “She dictated the pace and then there was pressure to the inside and when Blamed went after her in the stretch and buried her a little bit into the rail, she never gave up. She kept fighting all the way to the end to win the race. She showed me a lot of class and a lot of heart, too.”

Cleber J. Massey's Blamed, the winner of the 2018 Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct Racetrack and the 2019 Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park, was making her first start since running fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont Park. She bested Risky Mandate by three lengths for second.

“My filly ran a big race. I had a good trip and no excuses,” said Blamed jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. “You're going to hear a lot from her this year.”

Joy Epifora, Honor Way, Positive Spirit, Bella Ciao, Please Flatter Me and Slimey completed the order of finish. Estilo Femenino was scratched.

Live racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race card highlighted by the Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for sophomore fillies in Race 10 at 6:16 p.m. Eastern. The 1 1/8-mile test will offer 100-40-20-10 points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in September at Churchill Downs. Saturday will also showcase the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds over the inner turf in Race 3 at 2:18 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Viadera Outfinishes Brown Stablemate Noor Sahara To Win De La Rose

An extra eighth of a mile appeared to make all the difference for Juddmonte Farms' Viadera, who chased a slow pace under jockey Joel Rosario and made up ground at the right time, edging stablemate Noor Sahara by a neck in the $85,000 De La Rose at one mile over Saratoga Race Course's inner turf on Friday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Chad Brown, Viadera arrived off a distant fourth to Grade 1-winning stablemate Newspaperofrecord in the Grade 3 Intercontinental at seven furlongs on June 6, marking her first start in North America and contested over a yielding turf at Belmont Park.

“She kind of lost herself back in the field in her last race,” Brown said. “We expected her to get better position this time. I thought Joel did a great job. She just lost her way [last time out] and lost contact with the field. She didn't really show much interest until late when she made a little run. Coming out of that race, she trained a lot sharper.”

The 4-year-old bay daughter of Bated Breath broke sharply from the gate under Rosario and tracked in fourth to the outside of Noor Sahara while Xenobia set the pace through a leisurely opening quarter-mile in 24.95 seconds, with 8-5 favorite Catch a Bid a length behind in second. With the half-mile in 49.60 seconds, Xenobia extended her advantage to 1 ½ lengths while Viadera continued to maintain her position on the course labelled good.

Around the far turn, Viadera received her cue from Rosario as she began inching her way into contention. Noor Sahara put her head in front just past the sixteenth pole, but Viadera made up ground at the right time to hit the wire in 1:38.17. Noor Sahara finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Passing Out.

Completing the order of finish were Clara Peeters, Catch a Bid, Xenobia and Hogan's Holiday. Blowout and main track only entrant Bridlewood Cat were scratched.

“The longer distance today helped. She was very good today,” said Rosario, who guided fellow Juddmonte Farms color-bearer Filimbi to victory in the 2014 De La Rose. “I followed Irad [Ortiz, Jr. aboard Noor Sahara] and there were two horses in front of him. It was a great trip and she was able to finish with a galloping finish.”

Now a four-time winner of 11 starts, Viadera kept a perfect record over a flat mile intact and is unscathed in three starts at the distance.

“I was really pleased with her trip. Joel [Rosario] got to know her that first time out,” Rosario said. “It's been frustrating. She's been ready to run for months now and with cancelations and such, we had to just sprint her the first time. She got a race under her belt, but she trained much sharper the second time out, and she showed that leaving the gate.”

Viadera rewarded her backers in returning $14.40 for a $2 win bet and cashed a $46,750 check while improving her lifetime earnings to $156,441.

Brown offered praise for runner-up Noor Sahara, who also was making her second start in North America.

“She got a perfect trip really. She was right there,” Brown said. “There was a little jockeying when the horse on the outside took the lead and Tyler [Gaffalione, aboard No. 1, Catch a Bid] took back. There was a little musical chairs there for a bit, but I thought all three of my horses had good trip. Viadera was just best.”

On fifth-place finisher and post time favorite Catch a Bid, Brown noted that the moisture in the turf may have contributed to her run.

“It was a little disappointing down the lane that she didn't punch,” Brown said. “We'll have to reevaluate. But also, this turf, there's some moisture in it today and it's probably not for every horse. Some horses moved up and some horses moved down.”

A Great Britain homebred, Viadera is out of the Beat Hollow broodmare Sacred Shield.

Live racing returns on Saturday with an 11-race card which features the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds over the inner turf and the Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies over the main track. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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