Trainer Chad Brown will have two chances–led by even-money morning-line favorite McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB})–for his ninth GII Miss Grillo S. victory Saturday.
McKulick, named for the late Mary McKulick, a longtime office manager and bookkeeper for Brown, kicked home nicely from fifth to graduate over three next-out winners, including runner-up stablemate Consumer Spending (More Than Ready), at the Spa on debut Aug. 8. She is drawn widest of all in post six for the Miss Grillo.
Brown will also saddle Kinchen (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who finished an unlucky second behind Hail To (Kitten's Joy)-a full-sister to GISW Sadler's Joy–in her grassy unveiling at Saratoga Aug. 29.
“I felt if she could have got out to the clear, she probably would have won,” Brown said of Kinchen, who is named in honor of the late Ralph Kinchen, father of popular America's Day at the Races analyst Jonathon Kinchen.
“The break dictated to settle–which most of my horses will do– and she kicked on nicely. She just found herself with some traffic inside and she probably would have been a little braver if we could have got her clear, but that happens in maiden races. We'll turn the page and hopefully she gets a better trip in this.”
McKulick and Kinchen worked five-eighths in company around the dogs over the Belmont inner turf in 1:02.09 (9/16) Sept. 26.
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