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Queen Elizabeth II Invitees Work Over Keeneland Turf Course

Three fillies who were extended invitations to next Saturday's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana tested the Keeneland turf course Saturday morning at the Lexington, Ky., track.

Trainer Chad Brown's stakes-winning duo of Shantisara (IRE) and Technical Analysis (IRE) worked five furlongs together in 1:03.40 and 1:03.60, respectively. Trainer Donnacha O'Brien's Nicest (IRE) worked 5 furlongs in 1:06 with jockey Julien Leparoux aboard.

Also working on the course labeled good was Diamond Wow for trainer Patrick Biancone.

With assistant Andie Biancone aboard, Diamond Wow breezed 3 furlongs in :39.80 for Wednesday's Grade 2 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine. Diamond Wow was scratched out of Friday's Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades after drawing post 11.

“I think she would have been competitive yesterday,” Andie Biancone said about Diamond Wow, who drew the far outside post 14 for the Jessamine. “I am not as concerned with the outside draw on the turf as on the dirt.”

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Pocket Square Gets 92 Beyer Speed Figure For Athenia, Brown Targets Champagne For Jack Christopher

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown saddled Pocket Square and Miss Teheran to a one-two finish in Saturday's $200,000 Grade 3 Athenia, a nine-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The victory provided Brown with his 100th graded stakes win at Belmont Park, joining Hall of Famers Todd Pletcher and Shug McGaughey as the only conditioners to reach the century mark of graded stakes wins at Belmont.

Juddmonte homebred Pocket Square, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, rated in fourth outside rivals before advancing wide through the turn and powering home a 2 1/2-length winner, garnering a 92 Beyer. She paid $2.90 as the odds-on favorite.

Pocket Square, a 4-year-old Night of Thunder chestnut, entered from a 4 1/4-length optional-claiming win traveling nine furlongs on the turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on August 25.

“I'm really pleased with how she came out of the race and I'm really happy the way she's put a couple of nice wins together now – impressive wins,” Brown said. “We have her back on track. We've always thought a lot of her.”

Pocket Square, sixth in her lone sophomore start in the Group 3 Musidora at York, was a Group 3 winner as a juvenile in France for her former conditioner Roger Charlton. She notched a debut win for Brown in a 1 1/16-mile allowance tilt at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., in April and followed with back-to-back fifth-place finishes in Grade 1 company in the one-mile Longines Just a Game in June at Belmont and the nine-furlong Diana in August at Saratoga.

Brown said he left the Athenia trip in the capable hands of Ortiz, Jr.

“I certainly wanted her to stay out of trouble as the heavy favorite in a short field, so I did leave it up to Irad,” Brown said. “He knew what he had and he had a plan. Irad has really focused on trying to get to know this horse. He has a terrific record on her. He's ridden her so well. He's been very helpful with the development of her over here.”

Brown said he may have rushed Pocket Square into her recent Grade 1 efforts but that the filly's recent efforts are encouraging.

“Now that I've had a chance to regroup and given her a couple of easier races, she's shown the ability we saw over the winter,” Brown said. “It's probably time now to step into a higher level race again. I'm not sure where or when yet, but her training will guide us.”

Brown said he spoke with Juddmonte general manager Garrett O'Rourke following the race and would even consider stretching Pocket Square out in distance.

“It did strike me yesterday when she stormed to the front and kicked on to the wire and beyond that this filly can run further than I originally thought of her when I started this campaign in the spring at Keeneland,” Brown said. “She looked the part potentially of a miler on form when she came over here.

“I saw something yesterday when she got to the wire and on out that she seemed steady and strong as she kept going out,” Brown added. “I wouldn't be afraid to try her longer distances. I wouldn't have thought of that in the spring or earlier in the summer, but your opinion can change if they develop, certainly.”

Miss Teheran rallied from the back of the pack under Manny Franco to complete the Athenia exacta, but was pulled up in the gallop out and provided a precautionary ride home in the equine ambulance.

“Unfortunately she bled in the race. It's uncharacteristic for her. We'll have to regroup with her and figure out her future,” Brown said.

Swift Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, and Wonder Stables' Tamahere romped gate-to-wire in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Violet at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., contested over yielding turf.

The victory, which garnered a career-best 104 Beyer, was the 4-year-old Wootton Bassett filly's first win since the one-mile Grade 2 Sands Point in October at Belmont in her North American debut, following a trio of starts in her native France.

Tamahere entered the Violet from a pacesetting fourth in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa in August at Saratoga.

“It's nice to get her back on track. Obviously, she's been really keen in her races,” Brown said. “Her year didn't quite go as we planned based on how we started her career over here with an impressive off-the-pace win in the Sands Point, but she's definitely had some difficulties since then and some keen situations and such and been a little inconsistent.

“It was nice to let her cruise along on the lead at Monmouth,” he added. “She certainly loved the course.”

Klaravich Stables' McKulick and e Five Thoroughbreds' Kinchen worked five-eighths in company Sunday on the Belmont inner turf in 1:02.09 in preparation for Saturday's Grade 2 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juvenile fillies.

McKulick, by Frankel and out of the Makfi mare Astrelle, graduated on debut in a 1 1/6-mile turf maiden on August 8 at Saratoga with Ortiz, Jr. up.

Kinchen, by Lope de Vega and out of the Galileo mare Miss Nouriya, rallied to finish second in her August 29 debut at 1 1/16 miles on the Saratoga turf under Tyler Gaffalione.

My Sister Nat [1:00.80] and Orglandes [1:00.40] breezed five-eighths in company on the inner turf in preparation for Sunday's Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya at 11 furlongs on the inner turf.

“They both went super,” Brown said.

Peter Brant's My Sister Nat, a Group 3-winner in France, won last year's Waya when it was contested at 12 furlongs on the Saratoga turf. The 6-year-old Acclamation bay sports a record of 19-3-7-5 with purse earnings of $660,672.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso's Orglandes, a 5-year-old French-bred daughter of Le Havre, won the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap in November at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. She has finished sixth in a pair of Grade 2 starts this year in the Sheepshead Bay in May at Belmont and the Glens Falls in August at the Spa.

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's promising Grade 1 Champagne aspirant Jack Christopher breezed five-eighths in company with sophomore maiden winner Pipeline in 1:00 flat Saturday on the main track.

“Two nice horses there. They both came out of it well,” Brown said. “He's [Jack Christopher] on target for the Champagne. Pipeline, I'm considering waiting and running him in the Perryville at Keeneland later in the meet. He just broke his maiden but his figures are so fast, I'd like to see how the race comes up.”

Jack Christopher, a Munnings chestnut who was purchased for $135,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, registered a 92 Beyer for his 8 3/4-length debut score in a six-furlong maiden special weight on August 28 at Saratoga.

John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services' Pipeline, by Speightstown and out of the Empire Maker mare Vivo Per Lei, graduated at fourth asking in a seven-furlong maiden tilt on September 4 at Saratoga. The bay colt's 3 1/4-length score matched a career-best 97 Beyer.

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Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending worked five-eighths on the inner turf in 1:01.52 in company with Rockemperor [1:01.45].

Domestic Spending, a three-time Grade 1-winner, finished second last out in the Grade 1 Mr. D. on August 14 at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill. Brown said the 4-year-old Kingman gelding is likely to make his next start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar.

“I'm going train him [Domestic Spending] to the Breeders' Cup and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Rockemperor yet,” Brown said.

Technical Analysis breezed five-eighths in 1:02.65 on the inner turf in preparation for the Grade 1 QEII Challenge Cup on October 16 at Keeneland.

“She breezed really good this morning,” Brown said.

Public Sector [1:02.11] and Sifting Sands [1:02.08] breezed five-eighths in company on the inner turf in preparation for the $400,000 Grade 2 Hill Prince, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomores on October 23 at Belmont.

Klaravich Stables' Gerrymander worked a half-mile in :48.77 on the Belmont main track Sunday in preparation for next Sunday's Grade 1 Frizette against a tough field led by Echo Zulu for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Gerrymander, a 2-year-old Into Mischief bay, garnered a 73 Beyer in her second-out maiden score sprinting six furlongs on the Saratoga main track on August 29.

“I know that's a tough spot but she broke her maiden and I want to try her at a mile,” Brown said. “I like the way the horse is training but she's going to have to really step up. This is a really strong race. Asmussen's filly is in there and I think she's the best 2-year-old dirt filly I've seen run, so everyone has their work cut out for them.”

Klaravich Stables' Portfolio Company breezed a half-mile in :49.05 on the Belmont main track.

Brown said the 2-year-old Kitten's Joy colt, runner-up last out in the Grade 3 With Anticipation, has been training with a new bit and will be piloted by Joel Rosario in the Grade 2 Pilgrim.

“He had a little work on the dirt today and it thought he went well,” Brown said. “I just put a different bit on him for a little more control.”

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Brown Eyes Hollywood Derby For Public Sector, Sifting Sands

Trainer Chad Brown expressed a strong sense of satisfaction with Klaravich Stables' Public Sector, who secured a second graded stakes victory this meet when capturing the Grade 3 Saranac at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf at Saratoga.

Prior to winning Saturday's Saranac by one length, Public Sector scored by the same margin in the one-mile Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 6 at the Spa.

“He came out of it in good shape. He continues to develop,” Brown said. “To win two stakes at the meet for a 3-year-old is impressive. I'm very pleased with how far this horse has come along this year.”

Brown also saddled Technical Analysis, a fellow Klaravich Stables color-bearer, to dual graded stakes victories this meet in capturing the Grade 3 Lake George on July 23 and the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 21.

“Winning two stakes at Saratoga is hard to do. They both have developed as well as they could,” Brown said.

With the Saranac in the rearview mirror, Brown said he will now likely point Public Sector toward the nine-furlong $400,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 27 at Del Mar.

“I've had a lot of horses that at four have stretched out effectively,” Brown said. “These horses look like horses that will. How far and when I'm not sure, but we'll slowly get them out a little further over time.”

Both Public Sector and Technical Analysis are by 2014 Cartier Horse of the Year Kingman, whose three stakes winners this meet were all conditioned by Brown.

“Luckily, we were in on the first crop, we believed in the horse. We thought he had tremendous potential. Of course, not knowing what a first crop will do, but he's really developed into one of the top sires in the world,” Brown said. “We've been buying along each crop and supporting the horse. We believe in him and hopefully, we'll be able to still get our hands on some. They are really straightforward and honest horses to train, they should a great turn of foot in the mornings. They're sound horses.”

Brown also has the Hollywood Derby in mind for Peter Brant's Sifting Sands, who won the Better Talk Now on August 29 at one mile over the inner turf.

“I think it's a race that will fit him later in the year,” Brown said. “I plan on running him [and Public Sector] one time beforehand. He's a well-bred and well-meant horse and if he can target that, it's an important race that could make him a stallion at some point.”

Brown visited the winner's circle on Friday with Shadwell Stable's Emaraaty, who picked up a fourth lifetime win, besting an allowance optional claiming field on September 3 going one mile over the inner turf. The son of Dubawi arose from a five-month respite to produce a 95 Beyer. He ran the same figure in his first start for Brown in July 2019, which came off a year-long layoff.

“He's been a little frustrating to keep in a normal training routine of racing and he's a difficult horse to train, but I was really proud of how he ran the other day,” Brown said. “He's back in form now. He's got some age on him now, but he showed he can still do it. I'm hoping to get in a stake next time, but I'm not sure where.”

On Saturday, Brown saddled Pipeline to a maiden special weight triumph at fourth asking. Owned by John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock, the sophomore son of Speightstown cut back to seven furlongs on the main track after finishing a close second going nine furlongs on July 28, coming up a head shy of victory to next-out winner Vindictive.

Brown said adding blinkers to Pipeline has made all the difference.

“He's been one of my real pleasant surprises of the summer. We liked him, he trained really well but ran not too good in his first two starts. I was sort of lost with him,” Brown said. “Thankfully, we put some blinkers on him and he did a turnaround. With a little bit of racing experience in blinkers, he way exceeded my expectations from his first two races and what I was starting to think about him. He's an example of turning a second into a win later. He obviously got beat by a really good horse [Vindictive] who came back and won. I'm happy to have a nice late-blooming 3-year-old dirt horse going into the fall when some of these other horses might be tired now.”

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Tattersalls Graduates on a Tear at Saratoga

A win by Sifting Sands (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) last Sunday in Saratoga in the Better Talk Now S. continued a pattern that has been hard to miss this year. He became the seventh horse sold at a Tattersalls October Yearling sale to win a stakes race at the meet. One, Technical Analysis (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), has won two graded stakes, the GII Lake Placid S. and the GIII Lake George S. Only one of the winners, State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), is based in Europe. Five are trained by Chad Brown. Jorge Abreu trains the other, Star Devine (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), the winner of the Galway S.

“It's been a fairly spectacular run of success and this is something that has been in the making for a while,” said Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George. The influx of horses coming to the U.S. after being bought at European sales began in earnest in 2017 when Brown and his bloodstock advisor Mike Ryan started shopping at Tattersalls. Their purchases included Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), the winner of the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the 2020 GI Just a Game S. and two other graded races. At the same sale, they found Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the winner of the 2020 GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S., and Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Grade III winner now standing at stud at Claiborne.

“We've seen this success building since the first year that Mike Ryan came over with Peter Brant and Chad Brown and was buying for Mr. Brant and Seth Klarman,” George said. “Their first visit was in 2017 and, to the best of my recollection, they bought 12 yearlings. They got two Grade I winners out of that. They got off to a dream start with their first visit to Tattersalls and, more specifically, the October yearling sale.” Brown has been represented at every Tattersalls sale since and has continued to find stakes- quality horses. The list includes Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a winner of two Grade I races this year and the leading contender for the male turf championship.

Finding that buying proven race horses in Europe had gotten to be too expensive, Brown reasoned that a better way to stock his stable with European grass horses was to buy them as yearlings. “There are a number of factors at play,” George said. “It stands to reason that if you are focused on buying turf horses, which these buyers are because they want success on the grass, then the Tattersalls October sale is a perfect place to go looking. Book 1 of that sale is established as basically the premier sale in the world for turf horses.” Brown, Klarman and Brant have been able to buy horses at Tattersalls without spending an exorbitant amount of money. Technical Analysis and Newspaperofrecord both cost 200,000 guineas; Domestic Spending went for 300,000 guineas; Digital Age cost 325,000 guineas.

Jimmy George | Tattersalls

“Interestingly, these guys have very shrewdly focused on a market where they can find unbelievable value for the money they have been spending,” George said. “The average price paid at the sale is between 200,000 and 250,000 guineas and their success is coming in that area, anything from about the high one hundreds up to 350,000 guineas. They have focused on a particular section of the market. They've identified a sector that really works for them.” George also believes that, when it comes to European sales being able to offer quality horses, this is an unprecedented time. “Producing the best turf horses in the world, that's what we are good at,” he said. “Between Ireland, France and Britain, we have a depth of quality when it comes to stallions that is unmatched over the last 40-50 years. Galileo, Dubawi, Frankel, Sea the Stars, Kingman, Lope de Vega, Dark Angel, Siyouni. These are stallions that would be at the very top in any normal year and they've all come around at the same time. These are phenomenal stallions.”

Newspaperofrecord | Horsephotos

It didn't take long for others to follow Brown's lead. In 2019, Ben McElroy, representing Stonestreet Stables, paid 190,000 guineas for Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Campanelle is based in the U.S. with Wesley Ward, but has done most of her running in Europe, where she has won the 2020 G1 Commonwealth Cup and the 2021 G1 Darley Prix Morny. That same year, Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was bought at Tattersalls for 280,000 guineas, with BSW Euro Venture/Liz Crow listed as the agents. Trained by Brad Cox, Aunt Pearl went on to win the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Along with Newspaperofrecord, two of the last three running of the Juvenile Fillies Turf have been won by U.S. based horses purchased at Tattersalls.

The 2019 sale also saw Todd Pletcher's first foray into the market. He returned home from Tattersalls with two yearlings. George said it's too early to tell how many Americans will come over this year to buy, but he was optimistic that the list will continue to grow. He noted that there are 43 Kingman yearlings in Book 1, which should appeal to the Brown team, which has purchased nine Kingmans since first coming over. “In the wake of the success enjoyed by Seth Klarman, Peter Brant and Chad Brown, we've seen greater focus from U.S. buyers,” George said. “You had Ben McElroy buying Campanelle for Barbara Banke and Liz Crow and her team buying Aunt Pearl. That demonstrates that what these horses have accomplished has not gone unnoticed. It's not just deeds. It's words. Success breeds more success.”

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