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Week in Review: Can Jack Christopher be Brown’s First Dirt Superstar?

When pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup were announced last week it was no surprise that Chad Brown's contingent was dominated by turf horses. He has 11 entered for grass races and just three for dirt races. Since he went out on his own in 2007, Brown has established himself as the sport's best grass trainer and grass racing has always been his focus. Entering Sunday's races, he had won 1,316 turf races for a winning rate of 25% and 63.5% of his career wins had come on the grass. Brown has trained nine grass horses who won Eclipse Awards and has won so many grass stakes that it's hard to keep count. He's won 15 Breeders' Cup races, 13 in grass events.

But his most talented Breeders' Cup starter may not be a turf horse. Jack Christopher (Munnings), pre-entered in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, has looked sensational in his two career starts, including a romp in the GI Champagne S. in which he earned a 102 Beyer figure.

“He was a horse that identified himself as early on as his first work,” Brown said after the Champagne. “I was on the phone with the connections saying, 'This is potentially a really good horse. I can't believe what I just saw.' He's just been brilliant in every work. There was some buzz around him before he ran, and he lived up to it.”

An awful lot can go wrong between now and the first week of May, but should he win Friday he will be a solid early favorite for the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby. This one looks to have the potential to go places where only special horses go, which, for Brown, could mean filling in what is maybe the only hole on his resume.

It's not that Brown can't train a dirt horse. He has 756 career dirt wins and his winning rate of 25% on the main track is identical to his percentage on the turf. He has won the GI Champagne S. three times and the GI Cigar Mile twice. He has also won, among others, the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the GI Haskell S., the GI Cigar Mile H., the GI Acorn S., the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. In 2017, he snuck into Pimlico with the lightly regarded Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) and won the GI Preakness S. at 13-1 for his lone win in a Triple Crown race. He had a nice run in 2016 with Connect (Curlin), who won the GII Pennsylvania Derby, the GI Cigar Mile H. and the GIII Westchester S.

But he's been quiet over the years in the Triple Crown preps and the Triple Crown races themselves. He's 0-for-6 in the Derby, 1-for-2 in the Preakness and 0-for-3 in the GI Belmont S.

Brown's best dirt horse to date has been Good Magic. After finishing second in the 2017 Champagne, he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and later the GII Blue Grass S. He ran a winning race when second in the Derby, but just happened to run into a buzz saw in eventual Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy). After running fourth in the Preakness, he won the Haskell and was retired after a ninth-place finish in the GI Runhappy Travers S. Though unable to win a Triple Crown race, he proved that Brown could successfully navigate a good horse through the preps and the Triple Crown races.

He didn't fare quiet as well with his two other top prospects, 2018 Champagne winner Complexity (Maclean's Music) and 2016 winner Practical Joke (Into Mischief). Complexity finished 10th in his Breeders' Cup Juvenile and his biggest win thereafter came in the GII Kelso H. Practical Joke, now a well-regarded stallion standing at Coolmore, finished third in the Juvenile and fifth in the Derby. He later won the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. Brown has had five starters in the Juvenile overall.

Brown doesn't have anything to prove when it comes to dirt horses, but not everyone sees it that way. The Juvenile, next year's preps and the Derby itself will be seen as a test for him. He's just 42 and is arguably one of the best there's ever been. He's going to win the Kentucky Derby. Maybe as soon as next year.

What's Going On With Asmussen, Santana?

Steve Asmussen is not only the top trainer all time in wins, he is remarkably consistent. Since 1997, he's never had a year in which his stable won with less than 18% of its starters. All of which makes what went on at Keeneland so remarkable. Asmussen finished the meet Saturday with a record of 1-for-57. And it wasn't a matter of a lot of near misses. He had just seven seconds and seven thirds. Asmussen did win 14 races at other tracks during the Keeneland meet.

It was an even worse story for his go-to rider, Ricardo Santana, Jr. He was 0-for-81 with seven seconds and eight thirds. Including four races he lost at Belmont earlier in October, Santana entered Sunday's card at Churchill Downs having ridden 85 straight losers. On the year, he's won with 17% of his starters.

The last race Santana won was on Oct. 3 aboard Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont.

Asmussen and Santana figure to bust out of their slumps any day now, but what if they don't? Both will be heavily involved in the Breeders' Cup races, including with Echo Zulu, who will be the solid favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Should handicappers look elsewhere? It's something to consider.

Watch Out For Americanrevolution

Though he was competing in restricted company, in the Empire Classic H. for New York-breds, Americanrevolution (Constitution) served notice Saturday at Belmont that he is going to be a force going forward.

A bit of a late-developer, he ran a creditable race when third against open company in the GI Pennsylvania Derby, earning a career best 101 Beyer figure.

The odds-on favorite Saturday in his next start, he took command on the turn and took off from there to win by 11 3/4 lengths. He got a 108 Beyer for the race, which puts him among the upper echelon of 3-year-old colts. Numbers-wise, he has improved in each of his six career starts.

He'll be back in 2022, and it could be a big year for him.

It was also a big day for his sire, Constitution. Twenty six minutes after the completion of the Empire Classic, Independence Hall (Constitution) won the GII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland in a romp, winning by 7 1/4 lengths. A horse who has had an up-and-down career, it was his first win of 2021 and, perhaps, a sign that he, too, will take his place among the top older dirt horses next year.

The Trend Continues: Record Handle at Keeneland

Total all-sources handle for the Keeneland fall meet was $181,009,626, an all-time record for the Lexington track. Last year's fall meet handled $160,207,916.

The “boutique” meets in racing continue to show no signs of slowing down. This year, Saratoga, Del Mar and Kentucky Downs also set new records for total handle.

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Americanrevolution Dominant In Empire Classic Handicap At Belmont

China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's Americanrevolution poured on the speed in the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic Handicap to win by 11 3/4 lengths on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Breaking from the middle of the field of eight, jockey Luis Saez settled Americanrevolution in behind Sea Foam and Mr. Buff early, waiting for the far turn to make his bid for the lead. As Mr. Buff tired, Americanrevolution pulled even with Sea Foam entering the Big Sandy stretch and then pulled away with ease, leaving no doubt as to who the best horse in the field was. At the wire, the son of Consitution had a sizable lead while Wild Banker passed Sea Foam late to take second.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.11. Find this race's chart here.

Americanrevolution paid $2.90, $2.70, and $2.10. Wild Banker paid $18.20 and $5.60. Sea Foam paid $5.30.

“He's come a long way in a short period of time. He's a talented horse and showed last time that he belongs with some of the better 3-year-olds in the country, so it was great to have an opportunity like he had today,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the race.

“The horse has always been learning and getting better and better. Last time he ran hard against Hot Rod Charlie [in the Pennsylvania Derby] and some other tough horses and finished third. Today, he came out well, came to the top of the stretch and had plenty of horse and he did it very easily,” Saez told the NYRA Press Office after the Empire Classic. “We got the trip we wanted. We were breaking outside the speed and so we just tried to sit and keep him comfortable. He came running down the stretch.”

Bred in New York by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Field, Americanrevolution is out of the Super Saver mare Polly Freeze. With his win in the Empire Classic Handicap, the 3-year-old colt has four wins in five starts in 2021 for a lifetime record of four wins in six starts and career earnings of $532,035.

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What’s Next For Mr. Buff? Kimmel Eyes Robb For NY-Breds Or Another Try In Grade 1 Clark

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff earned a 94 Beyer for his impressive frontrunning Empire Classic score on Saturday's Empire Showcase Day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trainer John Kimmel said the 6-year-old Friend Or Foe chestnut looked to be in control throughout the nine-furlong test for state-bred 3-year-olds and upward.

“I watched the replay two or three times and he looked pretty confident and comfortable the whole race,” said Kimmel. “There weren't that many contentious moments. He handled that group pretty easily.

“Once he switched to the outside lead that was it. That was the key for me,” added Kimmel. “Sometimes he hangs onto the left lead and changes late but when he switches to the outside lead he's pretty impressive.”

Mr. Buff, who boasts a record of 40-15-7-4 with purse earnings in excess of $1.2 million, enjoyed a profitable winter at Aqueduct winning the Alex M. Robb against state-breds in December and the open Jazil in January before romping to a 20-length score over state-breds in the Haynesfield at one mile on the Big A main.

Kimmel said a return engagement in the nine-furlong $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-breds 3-years old and up is likely, although the nine-furlong Grade 1 Clark on November 27 at Churchill Downs is also under consideration.

“He's doing fine this morning. He's back in his stall doing his regular thing. That race [the Alex M. Robb] is probably high on the priority list,” said Kimmel. “We're a little gun shy about venturing out of town but we'll keep him eligible for the Clark. The Clark is a good spot for him on Thanksgiving weekend.”

Mr. Buff has finished off the board in all five of his graded attempts, including a 10th in last year's Clark.

“When he runs his 'A' race he can run with anybody, but he just hasn't done it in the major graded races,” said Kimmel, who won the Clark in 2006 with Premium Tap.

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Mr. Buff Strikes Again To Lead Empire Showcase Day Winners

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff got back on track to take the $175,000 Empire Classic Handicap in front-running fashion for the second straight year, putting the finishing touches on a thrilling day of New York-bred stakes action on Saturday's annual Empire Showcase Day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Winning trainer John Kimmel praised the Bromans for their continued support of his barn and the New York-bred program, which shined on Saturday with eight stakes worth $1.2 million.

“They have been with me since their inception in the thoroughbred game,” said Kimmel. “They've been big supporters and sent me a lot of top well-bred New York-breds over the years.

“They have really taken the New York-bred program to another level,” added Kimmel. “No one has done what he's done and bred his mares to the best stallions in the marketplace – Tapit, Storm Cat, American Pharoah, Justify – he's really tried to prove that you can raise a good horse in New York.”

A hard-knocking 6-year-old, Mr. Buff began 2020 with smashing wins in the Jazil and Haynesfield at Aqueduct, the latter of which was a 20-length tour de force against state-breds that netted him a sparkling 106 Beyer Speed Figure, but he was well beaten in each of his last two starts. His disappointing results in the Grade 1 Whitney and Grade 2 Suburban this summer led to many jumping off his bandwagon in the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up on the main track, as he was sent off as a distant 7-2 second choice in the wagering.

Breaking from post 2 with regular rider Junior Alvarado aboard, Mr. Buff broke sharply and went out to lead the field through sensible splits of 23.50 seconds for the opening quarter mile, 47.56 for the half, and 1:11.50 for three-quarters, and while he readily yielded a soft lead in the stretch of the Whitney in his most recent outing, he had no such trouble on Saturday as he powered home a 3 1/4-length winner over a talented group of late-runners.

Mr. Buff completed the distance in 1:48.75 and returned $9.40 on a $2 win wager, and the win gave the millionaire his 15th victory from 40 career starts for the Bromans, who also bred the Friend Or Foe gelding.

“He's a 17.1 [hands] horse with a huge stride length,” said Kimmel. “The key is to get to the top of the lane and switch to his outside lead turning for home. I knew then it was over and there was no way they were going to beat him at that point.”

Alvarado said he was determined to make Mr. Buff's challengers work for a shot at defeating the defending champ.

“The big horse is back. I couldn't be any happier for him. I really wanted to do it for him. He deserves it. He's the best older New York-bred,” said Alvarado. “I like him when he takes a hold of the bridle. That's how he likes to be ridden. I just got out of there running. I wasn't intending to get to the lead. I just wanted to get him out of there going forward and take my position, whatever it will be.

“He's a horse that can go 22 and 45, too, but I just gunned him out of there to get a good position,” continued Alvarado. “If anyone else wanted the lead they were going to have to work hard to get it, I wasn't going to give it to them easily today.”

Bankit came out on top of the host of pursuers that lined up to take their shots at Mr. Buff in the stretch of the Empire Classic. The son of Central Banker trained by Steve Asmussen had similarly gone off form in recent starts after a promising start to his 4-year-old campaign, but he closed strongly on the inside and finished a clear second by three lengths over Sea Foam.

Heavy favorite Funny Guy had to settle for fourth in his return to the statebred ranks. The John Terranova trainee had previously beaten Mr. Buff in the Commentator on June 12 at Belmont and won the John Morrissey at Saratoga against New York-breds, but he couldn't get back to his best form in the Empire Classic and finished a neck behind Sea Foam.

Winston's Chance, Chestertown, and Evaluator completed the order of finish. Our Last Buck was scratched.

In the $175,000 Empire Distaff for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the class-dropping Lucky Move turned heads with an impressive sustained rally around the far turn that propelled her to victory for trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero and owner Ten Strike Racing.

A 6-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky, Lucky Move had been a frequent visitor to the New York-bred ranks over the winter at Aqueduct Racetrack, but the remainder of her 2020 campaign was spent in open company stakes races, which produced a win in the Obeah at Delaware Park in late spring. Despite her credentials, she was sent off at 4-1 in the Empire Distaff and fittingly made a four-wide blitz under Irad Ortiz, Jr. around the turn to seize control of the lead in upper stretch, with enough left in the tank to hold off a late-charging Mrs. Orb for a 1 3/4-length victory.

Bred by Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables, Lucky Move returned $10.40 as the third choice in the wagering and completed the distance 1:43.36.

Fellow 6-year-old mare and race favorite Ratajkowski finished fourth, just behind Makingcents in third. Singular Sensation, Forever Changed, and Critical Value completed the order of finish.

Trainer Daniel Velazquez made a splash on Empire Showcase Day taking the first two stakes on the card, which were also the first two stakes scores of the young conditioner's career.

Laobanonaprayer kicked off the stakes action on Empire Showcase Day with an emphatic upset in the $150,000 Maid of the Mist for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on the main track, which she won by 5 1/2 lengths at odds of 8-1.

Owned and trained by the mid-Atlantic based horseman Velazquez, Laobanonaprayer entered the race as a maiden but surged to an easy win in the stretch after settling off the early pace and drafting behind runners around the turn before being tipped into the clear by jockey Kendrick Carmouche turning for home.

Laobanonaprayer, a daughter of Laoban bred by Christina Deronda, completed the distance in 1:38.06 and returned $19.20 on a $2 win wager. Her breakthrough score happened to coincide with her donning blinkers for the first time in her young career.

Co-favorite Frost Me finished second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Chasing Cara, who was followed home by Party At Page's, Infringement, and Mashnee Girl. Cara's Dreamer was scratched.

Velazquez, who saddled his first winner in 2009, waited 11 years to notch his first career stakes win but needed a little more than a half hour to record his second stakes victory when Brooklyn Strong followed his stablemate with a 2 1/4-length score in the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow for juveniles going one mile in Race 3.

Like his stablemate the race prior, Brooklyn Strong stayed off the pace before showing late speed. Eagle Orb led the seven-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 23.63, the half in 47.17 and three-quarters in 1:11.86.

In the stretch, Brooklyn Strong continued to close strong under Jose Ortiz, overtaking Eagle Orb in the final furlong before drawing away to complete the mile in 1:37.16.

“We came in very confident with both horses. We loved the distances for them,” said Velazquez.

“You kind of foresee it and wish it but you don't know if it's going to happen, but it happened,” Velazquez added about his remarkable day. “There was a lot of hard work going into this.”

Owned by Mark Schwartz and bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Brooklyn Strong, off at 7-2, returned $9.60 and earned blacktype for a second consecutive stakes after running third in the Bertram F. Bongard on October 2 at Belmont.

Eagle Orb ran 2 1/4 lengths clear of the favorite Breadman for second. Hold the Salsa, Masked Marauder, Let's Workout and Boss Bear completed the order of finish.

Lawrence Goichman homebred Myhartblongstodady made every pole a winning one to run her current win streak to four in the $150,000 Ticonderoga for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the firm inner turf in Race 4.

Trained by Jorge Abreu and perfectly piloted by Jose Lezcano, the 5-year-old Scat Daddy mare marked off moderate splits of 25.11, 51.05 and 1:14.51 with Short Pour tracking in second. The dark bay, who picked up her first stakes win last out in the Yaddo on September 4 at Saratoga, enjoyed a 2 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and despite bearing out in the stretch run extended her winning margin to three lengths in a final time of 1:44.66.

War Canoe earned place by a neck over Niko's Dream with Wegetsdamunnys, Pecatonica and Short Pour rounding out the order of finish.

Sent to post as the even money favorite, Myhartblongstodady returned $4.20.

Ronald A Brown's Tribecca led gate-to-wire in the 43rd running of the $125,000 Hudson going 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7 to give Carmouche his second score of the afternoon.

Trained by Chris Englehart, the 6-year-old Bustin Stones gelding set swift splits of 22.27, 45.29 and 1:09.54 under pressure from Arthur's Hope. Under siege from Captain Bombastic and Big Engine in the stretch run, Tribecca continued to find more and powered home a three-length winner in 1:16.01.

Bred by Laurel Least and Joseph Lech, Tribecca improved his record to 39-13-5-5.

A loaded renewal of the $150,000 Mohawk in Race 8 went to 6-5 favorite Somelikeithotbrown, who prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up, a division that has routinely produced some of the finest performances in the New York-bred ranks.

After trainer Jimmy Bond's Rinaldi broke on top over Belmont's inner turf course, the speedy Somelikeithotbrown, who's historically been at his best on the lead, was ridden aggressively to the front by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano. Their gambit paid off handsomely as, despite carving out some taxing early fractions on a firm turf course that had some give to it, Somelikeithotbrown stayed on resolutely in the stretch to easily thwart a challenge from Therapist.

The win marked the first time Somelikeithotbrown faced fellow statebreds since he broke his maiden by eight lengths as a 2-year-old at Saratoga in August 2018. The talented son of Big Brown, bred in tandem by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables, won the Grade 3 Jack Ruby Steaks as a sophomore and the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at the Spa earlier this year against open company for trainer Mike Maker.

Owned by Skychai Racing LLC and David Koenig, he completed the distance in a rapid 1:42.02 and returned $4.50.

Therapist finished second, 2 1/2 lengths in front of Somelikeithotbrown's stablemate Cross Border, whose resume entering the race was nearly as impressive as the winner's. Dot Matrix, Sanctuary City, and Rinaldi rounded out the order of finish. Yankee Division and Opt were scratched.

Parx-shipper Collegeville Girl schooled the field in the $125,000 Iroquois in Race 9, rallying from last-of-10 heading into the turn before surging under jockey Joel Rosario in the stretch. Angled out wide in the straightaway, the 4-year-old Central Banker filly picked off rivals one-by-one before overtaking Timely Tradition in the final sixteenth and fending off Prairie Fire by a half-length.

Trained by Richard Vega, Collegeville Girl, bred by Andy Beadnell, won for the second time in three career Belmont starts, returning $48.20 as a 23-1 longshot. Owned by Robert Brittingam, Salvatore De Bunda and Wire To Wire Stable, she completed the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up over Big Sandy in a final time of 1:16.48.

Prairie Fire, trained by Linda Rice, edged Timely Tradition by a neck for second. Officer Hutchy, Espresso Shot, Fair Regis, Bertranda, Spin a Yarn, Newly Minted and My Roxy Girl completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at Belmont with a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $100,000 Athenia. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

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