Chad Brown’s Breeders’ Cup Hopefuls Work At Belmont Park

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown worked multiple Breeders' Cup contenders on a crisp and overcast Saturday morning at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Highly-regarded juvenile colt Jack Christopher breezed in preparation for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 5 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The talented Munnings chestnut covered five-eighths in 1:00.85 seconds in company with Grade 1 Frizette runner-up Gerrymander over a fast main track in his first major work since capturing the Grade 1 Champagne on October 9 at Belmont Park.

“He's trained brilliant since Day One and he continues to do so,” Brown said. “I'm very impressed with that horse every time he works.”

A victory in the Juvenile would provide Brown a second career win in the race after scoring in 2017 with maiden Good Magic, who finished second in that year's Champagne.

Klaravich Stables' Gerrymander, a 2-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, is possible for the one-mile $150,000 Tempted on November 5 at Belmont.

William S. Farish homebred Royal Flag, a 5-year-old Candy Ride mare, went a half-mile in :48.66 over Big Sandy in her first breeze since capturing the Grade 2 Beldame on October 10 at Belmont.

She will make her next start in the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6.

Brown also sent a number of Breeders' Cup hopefuls to breeze over the firm inner turf Saturday, including Grade 1-winners Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan. Both horses are bound for the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf and worked five furlongs in tandem in 1:01.55.

“They worked very well,” Brown said. “They were a good team together. I was very pleased with the work.”

Tribhuvan captured the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., two starts back en route to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Domestic Spending will seek redemption following a second as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Mister D [formerly the Arlington Million] at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill. Owned by Klaravich Stables, the 4-year-old Kingman colt captured this year's Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, following in the footsteps of 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf winner and Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, who also was trained by Brown and owned by Klaravich.

Newly minted Grade 1-winner Rockemperor registered his first move since taking the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 at Belmont. The 5-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor recorded a solo half-mile in :50 flat and is on target for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Peter Brant's graded stakes winner My Sister Nat breezed five furlongs in company with Juddmonte homebred Pocket Square in preparation for the 11-furlong $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

My Sister Nat, who defended her title in the Grade 3 Waya on October 3 at Belmont last out, is a half-sister to Sistercharlie who captured the 2018 Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs. My Sister Nat was third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational on September 4 at Saratoga en route to her Waya score.

Brown said he has been highly impressed with Pocket Square since her triumph in the Grade 3 Athenia on September 25 at Belmont last out. The daughter of Night of Thunder notched her first stateside graded stakes triumph in the nine-furlong test coming off a sharp 4 ¼-length score in an optional claiming tilt at Saratoga.

“For right now, she's doing everything I'm asking her to do,” Brown said. “I really liked her work today and her gallop out. I would like to try her going that far. I know it's a huge step up in class, but I'm very, very pleased with how she's doing and I think she can get a piece of it.”

Klaravich Stables' Consumer Spending worked five furlongs in 1:02.25 in company with graded-stakes placed maiden Kinchen.

Consumer Spending, a gray or roan daughter of More Than Ready, is pointed to the $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 5 following a victory in the Selima on October 2 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

“She worked solid and galloped out strongly,” Brown said. “She's coming into the race that right way. It's a big step up but she's an improving horse.”

Peter Brant's Regal Glory [:51.11] and Juddmonte's Viadera [:51.10] breezed a half-mile in company. The pair of 5-year-old mares finished a respective second and sixth in the Grade 1 First Lady on October 9 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., last out and will target the $400,000 Grade 1 Matriarch on November 28 at Del Mar.

“They had their first work since the First Lady at Keeneland and it went well,” Brown said. “Both horses are targeting the Matriarch. That race will be the final career start for them both.”

Peter Brant's Blowout, who captured the Grade 1 First Lady last out, breezed a half-mile in :50.80 over the Keeneland turf Saturday morning and is “possible” for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile.

“She's possible for the Breeders' Cup. If not, she'll go to the Matriarch as well,” Brown said.

Blowout finished a close second to Viadera in last year's Matriarch. Never worse than fourth in 14 lifetime starts, the consistent daughter of Dansili captured her 2021 debut in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile on May 2.

Brown said Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup one-two finishers Shantisara and Technical Analysis will get turned out at Payson Park in South Florida for the winter.

“They'll head down to our Payson Park division shortly when we get that open and they'll get a much deserved turnout,” Brown said. “Both horses will get a break and then target spring stakes. Probably both will have the [Grade 1] Jenny Wiley [at Keeneland] on their radar next year.”

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Brown’s Bevy Of Breeders’ Cup Hopefuls Work At Belmont

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown breezed a number of his Breeders' Cup contenders Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., including Grade 1 Champagne-winner Jack Christopher, who worked a half-mile in :49.05 over Big Sandy.

Brown, a 15-time Breeders' Cup winner, said Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud, and Peter Brant's well-regarded Munnings chestnut is on target for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 5 at Del Mar.

“He was great. He was in control the entire way and galloped out super. He came back good,” Brown said.

Brown said he's feeling good about his Breeders' Cup contingent, a number of which breezed over the inner turf Saturday at Belmont.

“A lot of them are coming into the race well,” Brown said. “These are tough races we're going in. The Breeders' Cup races are always that way but we have some shots in a number of races, so we'll see.”

Klaravich Stables' multiple Grade 1-winner Domestic Spending breezed five-eighths in 1:01.85 in company with Peter Brant's multiple Grade 1-winner Raging Bull.

“They went excellent this morning. Both horses are on target for the Breeders' Cup,” Brown said.

Domestic Spending, a 4-year-old Kingman gelding pointed to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf, completed his sophomore season with a win in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif.

He returned on May 1 to dead heat for victory with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and completed a Grade 1 triple with a 2 3/4-length score over stablemate Tribhuvan in the Manhattan ahead of a closing second in the Grade 1 Mr. D on August 14 at Arlington Park.

“He breezed great today and galloped out strong. He's very fit,” Brown said.

Domestic Spending is one of three Breeders' Cup Turf contenders for Brown along with Tribhuvan and recent Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic-winner Rockemperor.

Brown said Tribhuvan [1:00.50] worked well this morning, traveling in company with Group 2-placed filly Nazuna [1:00.40].

Raging Bull, a 6-year-old son of Dark Angel, is pointed to the Breeders' Cup Mile following a closing third in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on September 18 which was contested over good going.

“He's looking for really fast ground and I expect to get that at Del Mar,” Brown said.

Brown noted that he would pre-enter Blowout, recent winner of the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., to the Mile.

Peter Brant's My Sister Nat [:49.23] and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso's Orglandes [:49.26] worked a half-mile in company over the inner turf.

My Sister Nat captured the 11-furlong Grade 3 Waya last out on October 3 at Belmont and will travel the same distance at Del Mar on November 6 in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

“The mile and three-eighths is a good trip for her,” Brown said.

Juddmonte's Pocket Square [1:02.02], also on target for the Filly and Mare Turf, worked five-eighths in company with Swift Thoroughbreds', Madaket Stables, and Wonder Stables Tamahere [1:02.11] over the inner turf.

Pocket Square, a winner of 5-of-9 starts, captured the Grade 3 Athenia at nine furlongs over good Belmont turf on September 25.

“The filly is training pretty good. I'm going to pre-enter her in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and see what it looks like,” Brown said. “Her last race really changed my mind about her. I thought she ran good at that distance and the way she galloped out steady.

“If she's good enough or not, I'm not sure,” he added. “It's not a definite she's going but I want to take a look at it and see.”

Tamahere, last-out winner of the Violet over yielding Monmouth Park turf on September 25, is pointed to next Saturday's Grade 2 Noble Damsel.

Klaravich Stables' Portfolio Company, a 2-year-old Kitten's Joy bay, breezed a half-mile in :49.41 in company with General Ken, a recent private purchase for an ownership group led by Louis Lazzinnaro.

A maiden winner, Portfolio Company finished second in both the Grade 3 With Anticipation in September at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Pilgrim last out on October 3 at Belmont. He is targeting the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

General Ken, a Violence juvenile, earned a 74 Beyer for a front-running 7 1/4-length maiden score traveling a mile and seventy yards over good Delaware Park turf.

Brown said General Ken will target the $100,000 Awad, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on October 31 at Belmont.

“The horse has settled in nicely and is training along well,” Brown said. “His one win looked impressive. He came to us in good shape, so we'll see. I liked his breeze on the turf today.”

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Consumer Spending, last-out winner of the Selima at Laurel Park, worked a half-mile in :50 flat over the Belmont main track.

Brown also confirmed that Royal Flag, last-out winner of the Grade 2 Beldame, will target the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Brown will send out a trio of contenders for Sunday's Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine, led by defending champ Etoile along with Kalifornia Queen and Great Island.

Last year, a prominent Etoile captured the 10-furlong test over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course by a neck. The 5-year-old Siyouni mare has made just two starts this season, finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland ahead of a closing second to returning rival Mutamakina in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine.

“She seems to like it up there and it made a lot of sense to let her defend her title there,” Brown said. “She made a nice run last time. She's training well and she's fresh. I expect her to run well.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Etoile from post 2.

Brown said that Kalifornia Queen, a closing third last out in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga, is training well ahead of her first Grade 1 appearance in North America.

“She certainly is [improving]. I think she's sitting on her best race,” Brown said.

Flavien Prat retains the mount from post 4.

Brown will also be represented by Great Island [post 8, Rafael Hernandez], who captured the Grade 3 Matchmaker two starts back over firm Monmouth turf.

The E.P. Taylor, slated as Race 8 at 4:37 p.m., also features a pair of starters for Belmont-based trainer Christophe Clement in Mutamakina [post 6, Dylan Davis] and La Dragontea [post 10, Joel Rosario].

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Brown Says Rockemperor, Serve the King Likely For BC Turf

Trainer Chad Brown reported that Rockemperor and Serve the King, the one-two finishers of Saturday's $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, are both likely for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf on November 6 at Del Mar.

Piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano for the first time, the 5-year-old bay son of Holy Roman Emperor rated along the hedge down the backstretch and was tipped wide approaching the far turn. In upper stretch, Rockemperor collared Gufo and drew off to victory in a final time of 2:25.60 over firm going at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Rockemperor, who earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure with a two-length victory in the Joe Hirsch at 15-1 odds, secured his first graded stakes triumph in North America after ten previous efforts at such level.

Following a third to stablemate Tribhuvan in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 1 at Belmont, Brown added blinkers to Rockemperor through his next four starts, which included a ten-furlong allowance win over the inner turf in June. He removed the blinkers for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic after a keen fourth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“The horse just wasn't getting in position like I wanted to, so I put the blinkers on him and he did quite well with them initially,” Brown said. “For whatever reason in the Sword Dancer, he got way too rank and started turning the other way on us, so I had to make another adjustment and take them off and listen to the horse. Javier fit the horse really well and it all worked out.”

The triumph was a redeeming one for Rockemperor, who finally struck graded stakes gold in North America. He was previously seven-times graded stakes placed.

Peter Brant's Serve the King needed racing room in upper stretch but displayed a late rally once in the clear to provide Brown with the Joe Hirsch exacta. The 5-year-old Kingman bay garnered a career-best 100 Beyer.

Brown also ran one-two in his previous Joe Hirsch Turf Classic scores with Slumber finishing three-quarters of a length behind Big Blue Kitten, and Fanciful Angel running a late-closing second, five lengths to Beach Patrol.

“I'm proud of the horse,” Brown said of Serve the King, who arrived at the Joe Hirsch off a win in the restricted John's Call on August 25 at Saratoga. “He was training like a horse that was ready to step up. He got in some trouble turning for home, I thought he would have gotten closer had he gotten clear. He really stepped up and seems to be a horse that's improving.”

Brown said he would look at the Breeders' Cup Turf for both Rockemperor and Serve the King. He could have as many as four entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf with multiple Grade 1-winner Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan, a winner of the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., two starts back, also pointing for the race. Brown secured a win in the 2019 Turf with eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.

Just less than an hour after notching first and second in the Joe Hirsch, Brown's stable was well-represented when Blowout and Regal Glory, both owned by Peter Brant, ran one-two in the Grade 1 First Lady going one mile at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Both 5-year-old mares garnered 102 BSFs, which is their first triple-digit BSF to date.

Blowout arrived at her first Grade 1 score off a fourth-place finish beaten 2 ¼ lengths against males in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga, which is her only off-the-board effort in 14 lifetime starts. Regal Glory captured the Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., ahead of a troubled fourth in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game and a victory in the restricted De La Rose in August at Saratoga.

The First Lady is a “Win And You're In” to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar, which is contested at 1 3/8 miles this year. Neither horse has gone past nine furlongs.

“I'm not sure yet. I'll speak to Mr. Brant about that and see where we'll go,” said Brown when asked of Breeders' Cup aspirations.

Brown also found the winner's circle on Saturday with Jeff Drown's first-time starter Zandon, a dark bay or brown juvenile son of second-crop sire Upstart who earned an 80 Beyer going six furlongs over the main track.

A start in the $150,000 Grade 3 Nashua on November 7 at Belmont Park could be in play for Zandon, Brown said.

“He's a big, good looking horse,” Brown said. “He should stretch out just fine. We'll see how he trains and go from there, but that's under consideration.”

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Rockemperor Gets First Graded Stakes Win In G1 Joe Hirsch

Sometimes even when Chad Brown's horses aren't favorites in a graded stakes on the turf, they still find the winner's circle. Rockemperor (IRE) entered the starting gate for the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic with only one win in 2021 and zero wins in a stakes, but changed all of that with his upset victory at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Breaking from post four, Rockemperor was next to last of seven, with only Gufo behind him early in the 1 1/2-mile stakes. Channel Maker set the pace, running on the lead until the race's final turn, as Arklow passed him with both Gufo and Rockemperor going to the far outside to pass horses and bid for the lead. Gufo got there first, coming into the stretch with a short lead, but began to tire in the straightaway. Instead, Rockemperor found running room toward the center of the track, passing Gufo and drawing away to a two-length lead. Serve the King was second and Gufo held on to finish third. The final time for the 1 1/2-mile G1 Joe Hirsch was 2:25.61.

Rockemperor paid $33.20, $10.80, and $5.40. Serve the King paid $13.00 and $6.40. Gufo paid $2.60. Find this race's chart here.

Bred in Ireland by Haras du Mezeray, Rockemperor is by Group 1 winner Holy Roman Emperor out of the Muhtathir mare Motivation. He is owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber, and Michael Caruso. The 5-year-old horse was consigned by Mocklershill at the 2018 Arqana May Two-Year-Old Breeze-Up Sale and sold to Simone Brogi for $14,330. With his win in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Rockemperor has two wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 20-4-5-6 and career earnings of $914,404.

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