Chad Brown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Highly Motivated Narrowly Best in Battle of the Browns

8th-Belmont, $94,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 5-28, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:36.63, ft, neck.
HIGHLY MOTIVATED (c, 4, Into Mischief–Strong Incentive {SW, $123,568}, by Warrior's Reward), an easing 4-5 favorite, overcame a bit of a slow start, but sat a good inside trip thereafter and outbattled his 'TDN Rising Star' stablemate Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) to the line to lead home yet another Chad Brown-trained exacta Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park. Off to a hesitant beginning and then bumped by The Reds (Tonalist) to his outside, the $240,000 Keeneland November graduate gained ground at the fence to race just in behind dueling longshot pacesetters to the turn. For his part, Stage Raider–backed from 7-2 into 2-1 at the off–was consigned to a five-path run down the backstretch after breaking from the widest gate, but raced more or less on even terms with his stable companion at the half-mile marker. Going ominously well with plenty of breathing room as they raced into the final three-eighths of a mile, with Stage Raider matching strides three off the inside, Highly Motivated was pulled out into the two path and ever so slightly had first run on Stage Raider nearing the stretch. The two class horses raced shoulder-to-shoulder past the eighth pole, and though he had every chance, Stage Raider could not fight his way past and the tough-as-teak Highly Motivated was home about a neck to the good. Chad Brown also saddled the race five exacta where Lakota Spirit (Curlin) outnodded Chaberton (Kantharos) in their respective turf debuts. Facile winner of the Nyquist S. on Breeders' Cup weekend at Keeneland in November 2020, Highly Motivated missed the break in the GIII Gotham S. and could finish no better than third. The bay made the majority of the running in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. back in Lexington last April and held grimly, only to be run down by champion 'Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit), but was 10th from a high draw in the GI Kentucky Derby and was shelved. He returned from a 50-week absence with a better-than-it-looks fourth with Lasix added for the first time in a seven-furlong Keeneland allowance Apr. 16. Seth Klarman's operation acquired Strong Incentive for $200,000 at the 2014 OBS April Sale and bred the mare's first winner, Dew Springs (Temple City), in partnership with William H. Lawrence. Mike Ryan signed the ticket on Strong Incentive for $40,000 when offered in foal to Practical Joke on a late cover at Keeneland November in 2018 to dissolve the partnership with Lawrence, but she did not produce the following season. Strong Incentive is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), a yearling filly by Practical Joke and was most recently covered by Authentic. Sales history: $240,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP, 8-3-2-1, $377,375. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Klaravich Stables (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

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Deep Field of 13 Clashes in Soaring Softly

A tough-to-separate baker's dozen of 3-year-old turf fillies will face off in Saturday's seven-furlong GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont, with many promising runners looking poised to jump into the division's upper echelon.

Three horses, each from powerhouse barns, figure to vie for favoritism, and Chad Brown's Haughty (Empire Maker) was given the slight nod on the morning line at 5-2. Disqualified out of an impressive, 3 1/4-length first-out score debuting over a mile on the local turf Sept. 17, the $310,000 OBS April buy had no problem breaking her maiden for real by four lengths next out at Keeneland and overcame a wide post to finish a close third when last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Waterville Lake Stables' New York-bred Derrynane (Quality Road) looms a big chance. A heavily-bet debut victress last July at Saratoga, the homebred annexed the Woodbine Cares S. two starts later Sept. 19 before running a sneaky-good, late-closing fourth against males in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Returning in the Limestone S. Apr. 15 at Keeneland, the bay was flying late and just missed by a neck to wire-to-wire Wesley Ward runner Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}). The Soaring Softly will be Derrynane's first try beyond 5 1/2 furlongs.

Ward will send out third choice Chardy Party (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Stonestreet Stables. Making her belated bow as a 9-5 favorite against 11 rivals Apr. 27 at Keeneland, the gray broke a bit slowly from the rail before uncorking a monster closing kick despite racing greenly, rallying from 10 lengths back in the final three-sixteenths to get up by an improbable half-length.

Other intriguing runners include Breeze Easy (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who makes her 3-year-old and North American debut for Christophe Clement after placing in multiple stakes in Great Britain last fall, Sail By (Astern {Aus}), who returns to the site of her 12-1 GII Miss Grillo S. upset in October, and Ouraika (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}), who Graham Motion shipped west to capture the GIII Sweet Life S. two back at Santa Anita Feb. 12.

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Second Chances: ‘An Added Sweetness’ for Juddmonte Campaigning Arrogate Homebred Artorius

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

After blitzing home to finish a strong second on debut at Keeneland, Juddmonte homebred Artorius (c, 3, Arrogate–Paulassilverlining, by Ghostzapper) could make his next start during the upcoming GI Belmont S. Racing Festival.

“That was maybe a bit short for him and there's a race on June 10th going a one-turn mile at Belmont,” Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said. “Everything is going well with the colt. We'll keep our fingers crossed and hopefully he continues to progress. He's a good-looking horse.”

Off as the 3-1 second choice in his unveiling for Chad Brown going six furlongs in Lexington Apr. 16 (video), Artorius was away in good order from stall three and was immediately under a ride in eighth through an opening quarter in a sharp :22.13.

Still with plenty to do rounding the far turn, the dark bay was taken widest of all as they straightened, and despite switching to his left lead approaching the final sixteenth, came flying home on the outside in :12.07 to finish 1 1/2 lengths behind 'TDN Rising Star' Under Oath (Speightstown). Artorius earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He just had a few issues early on as a 2-year-old, so we brought him home and let him grow up a bit,” O'Rourke said. “We brought him back and he's been a different horse altogether. Chad kept saying that he had turned the corner and that he really liked him going into his debut. He obviously came across a good horse [Under Oath] who had first run on him. But, oh God, we loved the way he came home–the final eighth, especially.”

Juddmonte purchased Artorius's dam Paulassilverlining privately from breeder Vince Scuderi ahead of her 5-year-old season with the gone-to-soon Arrogate in mind as a future mate. She recorded two wins at the highest level that term–the GI Madison S. and GI Humana Distaff S.–while carrying Juddmonte's green-and-pink silks.

Paulassilverlining, a half-sister to two-time GI Carter H. winner Dads Caps (Discreet Cat), is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Parameter (Into Mischief) and a Tapit filly of this year. Parameter recently joined Brown's Saratoga string, according to O'Rourke.

The brilliant GI Breeders' Cup Classic and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Arrogate, the richest North American racehorse in history, was humanely euthanized at Juddmonte after suffering from an undetermined illness in June 2020. He is currently represented by 27 winners, headed by GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath.

“There will certainly be an added sweetness–we'd love to have a good Arrogate,” O'Rourke concluded. “And most especially, also get a good start to Paulassilverlining's broodmare career as well. He definitely has talent, it's just a matter of how much.”

The 'Second Chances' honor roll is headed by two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and Lane's End stallion Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags). This term's ultra-impressive GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GIII Westchester S. winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) and GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause) have also been featured in the series. Other standouts include: GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW & MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); and GISP A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

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Chad Brown Talks Preakness, Triple Crown Spacing On Writers’ Room

Already a four-time champion trainer, Chad Brown became a two-time Classic-winning conditioner Saturday at Pimlico when his Early Voting (Gun Runner) scored in the GI Preakness S., five years after Brown took down the Preakness using a similar formula with Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music). Tuesday, Brown sat down with the crew of the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland from his headquarters in Saratoga Springs as the Green Group Guest of the Week to talk about his decision to skip the GI Kentucky Derby with Early Voting paying off, why he's in favor of keeping Triple Crown races' spacing the way it is, what's next for his other top sophomores Zandon (Upstart) and Jack Christopher (Munnings) and more.

Asked about his recent comments in support of the Triple Crown's current calendar alignment, somewhat surprising given that Brown runs his horses less frequently than average, he said, “I prefer to space my horses out and give them rest, but my answer was really based on the history of the sport. When I got into horse racing right here in Saratoga Springs, I was drawn to the rich, rich history and prestige of the sport. I'm really an old-fashioned guy. I like to stick to the basics. I'm not really in favor of too much change at the top, in the real pillars of the sport, meaning Triple Crown races and older track settings. I don't like changing the names of stakes races. Ironically, I'm in favor of changing things and adapting over time in my training system, but the things that most define the history of the sport, I would leave alone.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, XBTV, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers reacted to the Preakness and followed up on last week's debate about the future of the Triple Crown. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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