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Keeneland Names Dr. Stuart E. Brown II As Equine Safety Director

Keeneland officials announced today that Dr. Stuart E. Brown II, who cared for an international clientele during his nearly 30-year career with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, will join Keeneland full time as Equine Safety Director.

“Dr. Stuart Brown is uniquely talented for the position of Equine Safety Director and to be a leader in enhancing safety practices at Keeneland and throughout racing,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “During his career, his knowledge and expertise have been sought by horsemen around the world and by top industry and veterinary organizations alike. Stuart's addition to the Keeneland team further deepens our commitment to the safety and welfare of horse and rider, and his position provides a platform that will benefit the entire horse industry.”

As Equine Safety Director, Dr. Brown will lead the effort to develop, communicate and enforce safety and integrity policies for both racing and sales operations; review all racing-related accidents with the goal of prevention; assess relevant equine health and safety research; and proactively communicate best practices to the racing community and public. His duties will encompass both Keeneland and The Thoroughbred Center.

“During my veterinary career, I have had the great fortune to work with some of the most dedicated horsemen and women in our industry,” Dr. Brown said. “I am proudest of these relationships, and those with my colleagues and the team at Hagyard, with whom I have collaborated to provide exemplary care to every horse touched along the way. Most recently, I have had the benefit of serving in several roles in racing alongside many of my racetrack practitioner colleagues, which has allowed me to gain an appreciation for their unique perspectives in the care of the racehorse. It is these experiences shared over time that form the foundation for me to embrace this new and exciting role as Keeneland's Equine Safety Director.”

During his nearly 30-year practice with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute (formerly Hagyard-Davidson-McGee), first as an intern then as an associate veterinarian and a partner, Dr. Brown has specialized in equine reproduction and ambulatory medicine. With a primary focus on Thoroughbreds, his areas of concentration included equine reproduction, foal evaluations, private/public purchase evaluations, herd health and preventative medicine, federally required import/export protocols and issues affecting the welfare and safety of equine racing athletes.

“Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is excited to support Dr. Brown in his new position as Equine Safety Director at Keeneland,” Dr. Ernie Martinez with Hagyard said. “Dr. Brown has been an integral part of Hagyard's history and success since he started as an intern in 1991, and with the support of the Hagyard veterinary team, he has cared for some of our sports' most successful racehorses.

“We at Hagyard know Dr. Brown will bring his diverse network of connections and his experience as a veterinarian and as a horse owner to his new position,” Martinez said. “We look forward to seeing the positive changes and innovation he can drive in our industry.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Brown has mentored many veterinarians, served on numerous industry and veterinary boards and committees and represented veterinarians and horses on a national level.

Dr. Brown's memberships and affiliations include the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA), Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners (KAEP), Society for Theriogenology and Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club.

His recent appointments include serving as Chairman of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation, Trustee for the AVMA Insurance Trust, AAEP Delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates, Director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA) and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (KTOB), Member of the AAEP's Public Policy and Welfare Council, AAEP Liaison to the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, Board Chairman of the University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory and a Member of The Jockey Club.

Dr. Brown previously served as a Commissioner for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC), Chairman of the KHRC's Equine Drug Research Council and President of the KVMA, as well as a committee member of the AAEP Racing Committee (and Subcommittee Chair for Issues Pertaining to the Horse Racing Integrity Act) and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Advisory Committee.

Born and raised in Central Kentucky, Dr. Brown completed his undergraduate work at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University. He also owns and operates a Thoroughbred breeding, racing and sport horse farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

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Vancouver Notches First North American-Sired Winner

Coolmore's dual-hemisphere sire Vancouver was represented by his first winner at stud on Tuesday when Nicky Two Shoes won a maiden special weight at Thistledown, Thoroughbred Daily News reports.

Nicky Two Shoes stalked the leaders from the outside in the five-furlong race, then was taken inside by jockey Luan Machado, where they eventually gained the advantage and won by a half-length. They stopped the clock in 1:00.46 over a muddy sealed track for trainer William Cowans and as a Kentucky homebred for Southern Comfort Farm.

The bay colt is out of the placed Invasor mare Wendy Wow, who was purchased by Southern Comfort Farm for $14,000 in-foal to Summer Front at the 2017 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Vancouver, an 8-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro stood the 2017 Northern Hemisphere breeding season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky. His full-time base is at Coolmore's farm in his native Australia.

Vancouver won four of five starts during his on-track career, and earned Australia's champion 2-year-old male honors with a campaign that included victories in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, the G2 Todman Stakes, and the G3 Canonbury Stakes.

Bred in Australia by Fairway Thoroughbreds, Vancouver is out of the stakes-placed Danehill mare Skates, whose runners also include Australian Group 1 winner Juste Momente. His second dam is the multiple Australian champion Skating.

Well-Bred Trapezium Sells For $327,000 to Top Keeneland’s Inaugural Online Select Horses of Racing Age Sale

Trapezium, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Honorable Duty, sold for $327,000 to St. Elias Stables to top Keeneland's inaugural June Select Horses of Racing Age Sale, the first stand-alone online auction held Tuesday via the new Keeneland Digital Sales Ring platform.

Consigned by Juddmonte Farms, Trapezium is a 3-year-old filly by Hard Spun out of the A.P. Indy mare Mesmeric. Her second dam, Grade 1 winner Toussaud, is the dam of Belmont Stakes winner and sire Empire Maker and Group 1 winner and sire Chester House. Trapezium finished second in her last start, a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 2. She was cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect.

“Trapezium comes from one of (Juddmonte's) elite families,” Juddmonte Farms general manager Garrett O'Rourke said. “I wasn't sure in this format buyers would recognize her value. I was wrong. Our phone began ringing very early on; people were paying attention, doing their homework and she sold accordingly.

“The online sale format was well received and embraced by buyers,” O'Rourke added. “There were some growing pains with registering to bid, etc., but buyers adapted quickly. It was productive and went very smoothly – to be able to pull together buyers and players and turn the sale around in such a short time. We needed to move some horses and it was a big help to us.”

John P. Sparkman, pedigree consultant for St. Elias Stables, said plans call for Trapezium to train in New York with Todd Pletcher.

“She jumped out at us because of her pedigree,” Sparkman said. “Most of the Juddmonte horses are grass-oriented. This family is mostly dirt-oriented, with Empire Maker and Honest Lady, and that is primarily what we are looking for. Tom Evans of Trackside Farm was able to go by and look at her for us and he liked her. So that sealed the deal.”

Today's one-day sale grossed $829,500 for 12 horses, for an average of $69,125 and a median of $32,750. Summary results of the sale are available by clicking here.

“The successful launch of the Digital Sales Ring marks a milestone in Keeneland's storied auction history because it enables us to deliver another high-quality sales option to our clients,” Keeneland vice president of racing and sales Bob Elliston said. “This sale met the needs of the market by providing buyers, as tracks reopen around the country, the opportunity to purchase proven, ready-made racehorses from top-flight consignors.”

Bringing the day's second-highest price was Eloquent Speaker, a 3-year-old filly by Flatter out of the Broken Vow mare Spoken Not Broken, sold for $200,000 to Anthony Mitola. Offered as a racing prospect, the filly won her maiden at Belmont on June 12. She was consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent.

Juddmonte Farms also consigned a pair of 3-year-olds by Into Mischief that brought bids of $65,000 each. Steven W. Young, agent, purchased Oak Room, a colt out of French stakes winner Privet Hedge, by First Defence. Valletta, a filly out of the winning Tapit mare West Riding, was bought by Big Dom Racing Stable.

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Hello Beautiful: Russell-Trained Multiple Stakes-Winning Filly Earns Shot At Grade 1 Test

Rebounding off a disappointing start to the season with one of the best races of her career, multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Hello Beautiful is expected to take a step up in competition for her next start.

Laurel Park-based trainer Brittany Russell said Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stable and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful earned a shot at a graded-stakes following her 8 ¼-length allowance romp June 20.

“I'm going to talk to the guys. We're going to definitely give her at least six weeks. She deserves it. Last year we spaced her races out pretty well and she really responded to that. We'll just see what the schedule looks like and how it fits timing-wise,” Russell said.

“I think we'll try and find something in graded company and see if she can step up outside Maryland. You're only 3 once, and if she's good we might as well take a shot soon,” she added. “It's exciting to have one that we feel like we can do big things with.”

Her regular rider, Russell's husband Sheldon Russell, hustled Hello Beautiful to the front for the six-furlong sprint and the dark bay or brown daughter of Golden Lad did the rest, keeping Fifteen Royals at bay through a half-mile in 45.85 seconds before opening up by five lengths at the head of the stretch. Despite being geared down approaching the wire, Hello Beautiful finished up in a sparkling 1:09.88 over a sealed, sloppy main track.

“She likes to run on the engine early on, so I wanted to make sure I got the good break,” Sheldon Russell said. “As soon as she gets in front she pricks her ears, and I just felt like she traveled nicely in my hands. I was never really worried, but it was nice for her to show that she's improved and she's trained on. Hopefully she stays healthy and we can have some fun with her this year.”

Bred in Maryland by Ellen Charles' Hillwood Stable, Hello Beautiful got a belated start to the year, first by design and then extended by the coronavirus pandemic which paused live racing in Maryland for 2 ½ months until late May. Anxious to get her going, the connections tried a 5 ½-furlong sprint on the grass June 1 where she ran seventh, the worst finish of her career.

“I don't really know what the options were for races, but Brittany opted to give her a run on the grass and I was just maybe a little too confident,” Sheldon Russell said. “I know it was short back and I know a couple people were worried about that, but she came out of that turf race like she hadn't even run. We worked her last week, she put in a bullet workout, and we had no options but to run her. Brittany and her team had her ready.”

For the effort, Hello Beautiful earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, second only to the 95 she was assigned following her 11 ¾-length score in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Dec. 7 to close her 2-year-old campaign. She won the six-furlong Maryland Million Lassie one start earlier in her stakes debut.

“There's high expectations naturally after her 2-year-old year, and we kind of got off on the wrong foot with the turf race. You just had to toss that and just have to forget that that's even on her page now. It was one of those things where we wanted to see her [rebound] that so we know how to move forward,” Brittany Russell said.

“She was the most proven one of the bunch so she should win like that, given her 2-year-old races. So, seeing that was a bit of a relief. You feel like we have the same filly and she's taken a step forward, which is what you want to see as a 3-year-old,” she added. “She ran a big number, too. That's encouraging. That makes us feel like now we can try something bigger.”

The allowance win was the fourth victory from eight starts for Hello Beautiful, who was serenaded through the stretch by Maryland Jockey Club announcer Dave Rodman's call: “Here she is … a thing of beauty! Hello, beautiful!”

Though the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) has been rescheduled for Sept. 4, Brittany Russell said the plans call for keeping Hello Beautiful going short and targeting some of the bigger sprint races.

Among the options is the Aug. 8 Test (G1) at Saratoga, contested at seven furlongs and coming seven weeks out from her most recent win.

“She's proven that she can go seven-eighths. Some of the better races are seven-eighths, the sprints, so I think we're just going to do that right now. It'll look good for her if we can get a big one, even if she runs second or third,” Brittany Russell said. “With the Oaks being later in the year this year, you kind of hope that for some of them, that's their goal, so maybe the sprints will be off their radar. Hopefully things just work out for us.”

Her trainer said Hello Beautiful exited the race in good order and would have a couple of easy days before going back to the track by mid-week.

“We always go everything after they run just to make sure there's nothing jumping out at us that you wouldn't know until they go back to the track. She looked great,” she said. “That's kind of why we decided to run her back as quick as we did from the turf race, because I walked her a couple days and took her out and just tried to give her a jog day and she was jumping out of her skin so much I turned around and galloped her, just to keep her happy. We'll just see what her energy level is like and let her tell us what she wants to do.”

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