Pocket Square | Horse Racing Free Tips

Brown Prepares Lemista, Pocket Square For Diana At Saratoga

Trainer Chad Brown breezed a number of horses over the Belmont Park inner turf on Sunday morning, including Lemista and Pocket Square who are both on target for the $500,000 Grade 1 Diana on July 17 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The pair of Diana aspirants worked five furlongs in company with Lemista completing her work in bullet time of 1:01.80 outside of Pocket Square, who finished off in 1:01.89.

Owned by Peter Brant, Lemista earned a 100 Beyer in her North American debut in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 8 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., finishing a late-closing second to Harvey's Lil Goil. The 4-year-old daughter of 2008 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Raven's Pass was a Group 2 winner three starts back at the Curragh over yielding going.

Juddmonte Farm's Pocket Square, a Group 3 winner in France, was impressive in her North American debut on April 7 at Keeneland and subsequently was fifth as the lukewarm favorite in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont.

“They both worked well with one another and are going to the Diana,” Brown said. “Lemista has relished the time in between her races. With Pocket Square, I'm drawing a line through the Just a Game. She was lined up so well going into that race and there were things I was hopeful she would be able to overcome, but it didn't quite work out.”

Brown has won the Diana six times, including the past five editions with talented turf distaffers Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19], and Rushing Fall [2020].

On Saturday, Brown sent out Michael Ryan, Jeff Drown, and Team Hanley's Higher Truth for her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, finishing a close third, beaten a half-length to Santa Barbara.

Brown said the daughter of the late Galileo will target the $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 8.

“I thought she ran well. I was proud of her effort,” Brown said. “It looked like she was in for a good chance late in the race and picked up a piece of it at the end. We'll probably move on to the next leg [of the Turf Triple series].”

Higher Truth arrived at the Belmont Oaks off two starts at ten furlongs, breaking her maiden by a half-length over the inner turf on April 22 before defeating winners on June 10.

“She's had three mile and a quarter races in a row, so she's gained a lot of experience and fitness,” Brown said. “I think down the road, she'll be able to run even further.”

Brown said he could have at least two fillies for the Saratoga Oaks as Rocky Sky, previously considered for the Belmont Oaks, opted to wait for the second leg.

Owned by Peter Brant, Rocky Sky is a two-time winner in her native Ireland, capturing the ten-furlong Salsabil last out on April 25.

“We thought she would benefit from more time going into the Saratoga Oaks, so that's where she's headed to,” said Brown.

Brown said recent allowance optional claiming winner Amy C will target the $150,000 Grade 3 Lake George, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies on July 13 at the Spa.

Owned by Madaket Stable, Michael Dubb, and Robert V. LaPenta, the 3-year-old daughter of Charming Thought broke her maiden in March at Deauville before shipping to North America.

“It was a nice first time from out of the country for us. It seems like she's ready for a stakes now,” Brown said.

The post Brown Prepares Lemista, Pocket Square For Diana At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Powerhouse Stables Of Appleby, Brown Make Up Half The Field In Just A Game

Twelve stakes winners, including 11 graded/group stakes winners—all seeking their first turf Grade 1 score comprise the dozen entered in Saturday's $500,000 Longines Just a Game over one mile on the Widener turf course.

The powerhouse stables of Charlie Appleby and Chad Brown make up half of those in a race that has traditionally showcased some of the best turf females in training, including eight Breeders' Cup winners.

Trainer Charlie Appleby has sent out a mere 15 starters in North America since becoming a head conditioner for Godolphin in 2013, but has won with five of those and earned more than $2.9 million. A pair of grey 4-year-old fillies with stakes victories during Meydan Racecourse's 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival, Althiqa [post 8, Hall of Famer Mike Smith] and Summer Romance [post 9, Luis Saez], deserve plenty of respect shipping over from England.

Althiqa closed from last to land the one-mile Group 2 Cape Verdi in late January, knocking off her favored stablemate, who tired to fifth after making the running. Summer Romance would make amends three weeks later in the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine, running the field off its feet in gate-to-wire fashion. Althiqa checked in third.

While Althiqa is a homebred who has steadily ambled her way up the ranks, it is clear that Summer Romance—an $898,800 daughter of Kingman and half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Rizeena—has been held in slightly higher regard.

“They all travelled over well and have trained well since they've been there,” Appleby said. “There's been a little rain and the track's very wet this weekend. The fillies are fit and well and have plenty of experience under their belt. The reason we went to America is they carry Group 2 penalties here in Europe for the forthcoming season and the Group 1 older fillies races aren't until later in the year, anyway, so we thought it might be a good opportunity to get a Grade 1.”

Chad Brown's quartet is led by Peter Brant's Blowout [post 11, Flavien Prat], a gate-to-wire winner of the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile last out at Churchill Downs. A daughter of Dansili and French classic winner Beauty Parlour, she cured a case of seconditis in the process after completing the exacta in a trio of events, led by a nose loss in the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar.

“Flavien really gets along with her well,” Brown said. “We saw that in the Matriarch. He has great hands and she can be difficult, but he really gets along with her and timed it right. She likes this track very much. She ran one of the best races I've ever had a horse run in defeat that day [in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel, September 26], when she got away from Johnny [Velazquez] and went 44 [seconds for the half-mile] and kept going. I don't know how she was still there at the end. If she can settle at all, she has a good closing kick. She has run well on good ground in the past, but I prefer for it to be firm.”

Brant also entered Regal Glory [post 4, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano], fourth in this last year and cross-entered in Thursday's Grade 3 Intercontinental.

Brown's Grade 2 Sands Point-winner Tamahere [post 10, Jose Ortiz] kicked off her season with a respectable second in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 10. Owned by Swift Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, the daughter of in-form stallion Wootton Bassett appears primed for a top effort.

“This filly would be no shock to win this race, either,” Brown said. “She's going to really appreciate the cut back to a mile and she loves Belmont. She's been training very well and is a legitimate contender here.”

The fourth for Brown is Juddmonte's Pocket Square [post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.], who seeks to build off a strong American debut, winning by open lengths at Keeneland on April 7. By smart young stallion Night of Thunder, the chestnut 4-year-old makes her sixth start and owns a stakes win in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville in 2019.

“She's a pretty good horse and reminds me of some other talented horses I've had,” Brown said. “We did this with Antonoe, going from an allowance at Keeneland to the Just a Game, which she won. She's pretty good and we're lucky to have her. I think she's lined up for a good one.

“Interestingly, she shipped over last year to run in the Saratoga Oaks and she had an issue out of quarantine where she needed some time off,” Brown continued. “Fortunately, the team at Juddmonte did a fantastic job and sent her back to us this winter all healed up and healthy. We did our normal move, like (Bobby) Frankel would have done, which is take our time, find an allowance at Keeneland and then go from there. As impressive as she was in that race, she's come out of it and even taken it up another notch in her workouts. She's been exceptional.”

The three who finished directly astern Blowout in the Distaff Turf Mile—R Unicorn Stable's New York Girl [post 12, Junior Alvarado], Heider Family Stables' Zofelle [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione] and Apogee Racing's Abscond [post 7, Joel Rosario]—will hope to extinguish said rival this time around.

Joseph Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye [post 2, Jose Lezcano]—second in the Grade 3 Marshua's River in January to Zofelle—is cross-entered in Thursday's Intercontinental, while Repole Stable's Always Shopping [post 5, Hall of Famer John Velazquez] is cross-entered in Friday's Grade 2 New York.

Jim and Susan Hill's multiple Grade 1-placed Daddy Is a Legend [post 3, Manny Franco], who owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field [102], looks to improve upon her third-place finish in this event in 2019.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs from Thursday through Saturday, June 5, culminating with the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown. First post on Belmont Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m. Eastern

The Just a Game is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 13-race card.

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Taking ‘Flight’: Brown Barn Reloaded for Spring

Not to be lost off the heels of a very productive weekend of GI Kentucky Derby/Oaks preps for the Chad Brown barn–more on that in a bit–the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer recently unveiled a pair of ultra-impressive, stakes-quality Euro imports for allowance victories.

Juddmonte homebred Pocket Square (GB) (f, 4, Night of Thunder {Ire}), heroine of Deauville's G3 Prix des Reservoirs at two for trainer Roger Charlton, turned in an eye-catching, 2 1/4-length come-from-behind tally in her U.S. bow over the Keeneland lawn Wednesday, rocketing home in :28.21.

She was receiving first-time Lasix in the 1 1/16-mile affair while making her first attempt since an unplaced effort–her lone start at three–in last July's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York. The lightly raced Pocket Square is a daughter of the multiple stakes-placed Dansili (GB) mare Shared Account (GB), a full-sister to French G1SW Zambezi Sun (GB).

“She ran terrific,” said Brown, who also won Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile with Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}). “She got a good trip and a good ride from Irad [Ortiz, Jr.]. She had been training very well down at Payson Park all winter, so we were cautiously optimistic that she could get her campaign kicked off the right way.”

Pocket Square could potentially target Belmont's GI Longines Just a Game S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 5. Brown and Juddmonte followed a similar blueprint with Antonoe (First Defence), who also won a Keeneland allowance in her U.S. bow prior to adding the Just a Game in 2017.

“A race like the Just a Game is definitely in play,” Brown said. “She's already won at a mile, so I don't think cutting her back will hurt. We've had success before doing that with another Juddmonte horse Antonoe, who followed a similar track. It's something we'll nominate her to, but in no way is that firm yet. We'll get her back to New York and see how she's training first.”

Flighty Lady (Ire) (f, 4, Sir Percy {GB}), four times group-placed at two and three in France, also stamped herself as one to watch in her first attempt on these shores, punching on nicely with a smart, two-length score with first-time Lasix traveling 1 1/16 miles over the Aqueduct grass last Saturday (video).

She was purchased privately by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm following a third-place finish in the 2019 G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp. Her resume also includes a solid third-place finish behind subsequent GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. heroine Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Prix Vanteaux last May.

The 21,000gns TAOCT yearling is out of the unraced Dansili mare Airfield (GB), a full-sister to GSWs Early March (GB) and Aviate (GB). This is also the family of G1 Goffs Irish One Thousand Guineas heroine Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and G1 Two Thousand Guineas winner Haafhd (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}).

“She trained down there at Payson, too, and also got her season kicked off the right way,” Brown said. “I'm looking at the [GIII] Gallorette [S. at Pimlico May 15] as probably the leading candidate for her next spot. But we'll nominate her to a bunch of different stuff. I like the timing of that race and keeping her at that distance [1 1/16 miles] for now, so we'll see.”

Like his former boss, the late, great Bobby Frankel, Brown is no stranger to top-level success with these types of imports, led by champion female turfers and Breeders' Cup winners Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}); Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) (like Pocket Square and Flighty Lady, also out of a Dansili mare); and Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune); as well as champion grass horse Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}); and South American champion turned MGISW in the U.S., Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy).

“Fortunately, I've had the combination of a great mentor with Bobby training me how to take these type of horses in,” Brown said. “Really no two are alike, right? They come from different areas of Europe or South America, what have you, so we adjust to what we receive. And the other part is getting the horses. The horses you mentioned were very highly regarded, and had a lot of ability to begin with. My team, I sort of trained them for what I know, and they then execute it with the horses that we're grateful to have. It's worked that way and it's nice to see that it's continuing to work. As long as we get these type of horses and my team continues to follow the boss's plan–which was really Bobby's–hopefully, we'll be able to add to that list.”

As the calendar quickly approaches the first Saturday in May, Brown–second in the 2018 Kentucky Derby with champion Good Magic (Curlin) and third in the 2016 Kentucky Oaks with Lewis Bay (Bernardini)-will be well-represented once again in those two Classics with a pair of Klaravich runners.

Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) punched his ticket to Louisville with an ultra-game runner-up finish to Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S., while the unbeaten Search Results (Flatter) now stands atop the Oaks standings following her stalk-and-pounce win in the GIII Gazelle S.

While still up for further discussion, Brown reported that Crowded Trade (More Than Ready), third in the GII Wood Memorial S., may await the GI Preakness S., a race won by the stable in 2017 with Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music).

“Very lucky to have a nice, diverse group of horses to complement those turf runners,” Brown said. “We've got some really nice dirt horses in the barn, too. It's exciting and we've been down this path before. We haven't won either race, the Derby or Oaks, but we've been close and knocking on the door a little bit with limited opportunities.

Brown concluded, “There's so many things to overcome, I've sort of become numb to it knowing everything that can happen. But we know more as a team now definitely, so you feel a little bit more comfortable going over there than the earlier days. Highly Motivated and Search Results seem to really fit with this group. We're really lucky to have these two horses.”

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