Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Brown might send squad to stakes at Santa Anita
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown swept the final two graded stakes run at the Del Mar fall meeting, which concluded on Nov. 26. Now, he is eyeing several graded events at Santa Anita when that Southern California track opens its meeting on Dec. 26.
Brown said Friday that he is considering sending as many as seven horses to Santa Anita for its opening week stakes. Favorable Outcome, a recent allowance winner at Aqueduct, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Malibu for 3-year-olds on the opening-day card. Kurilov, a Chilean-bred who finished fourth in his U.S. debut in an Nov. 12 allowance race, is possible for the Grade 2, $300,000 San Antonio Handicap the same day. He is also being considered for the Queens County at Aqueduct on Dec. 23.
Rymksa and New Money Honey are definite, while Silver Shaker is possible for the Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on turf on Dec. 30. Elysea’s World and Penjade are both being considered for the Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel on that same card.
Favorable Outcome, who won the Grade 2 Swale in February to begin the year, was sidelined through the summer with an issue. After finishing third to Beasley in an allowance race on Sept. 30, he won a second-level allowance race by a neck going 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct on Nov. 26, a race from which he earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He dug in, won a nice race, ran a really good number against older horses,” Brown said of Favorable Outcome. “Unfortunately, he had to miss some time with some issues that are now behind him.”
Rymska is 3 for 3 this year, with victories in the Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel and, most recently, the Winter Memories Stakes on Nov. 23 at Aqueduct.
“She’s a horse that unfortunately missed the center of her 3-year-old season with mild tendonitis, but she’s come together nicely now. She’s back in good form again,” Brown said.
New Money Honey won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita as a 2-year-old. This year, she won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks. After running fifth in the Grade 1 Alabama on dirt, New Money Honey finished sixth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth at Keeneland, a course over which she’s run her two worst turf races. Silver Shaker was recently beaten in a first-level allowance race.
Penjade and Elysea’s World finished first and fourth, respectively, in the Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 25. Elysea’s World was bottled up behind traffic while Penjade had a clear trip.
Cloud Computing rejoins Brown
Cloud Computing, the Preakness winner who was sidelined following the Travers in August with a chip in an ankle, has recently rejoined trainer Chad Brown’s stable at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida.
Brown said that Cloud Computing has started walking under tack and that he has no timetable for when he would like to bring him back in 2018.
“Just happy to have him back,” Brown said.
Cloud Computing took the New York road to the Preakness, winning a six-furlong maiden race over Aqueduct’s inner track in February. After finishing second in the Gotham and third in the Wood, he skipped the Kentucky Derby and outfinished Classic Empire to win the Preakness. In the summer, he finished fifth in the Jim Dandy and eighth in the Travers before the chip was discovered.
Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit are expected to rejoin trainer Todd Pletcher’s south Florida operation at Palm Beach Downs around New Year’s Day.
Group buys Septimius Severus
The 2-year-old Septimius Severus, who won his career debut by a nose at Aqueduct on Nov. 24, has been purchased privately by West Point Thoroughbreds, Dean and Patti Reeves, and Randy Hill. He has been transferred to trainer George Weaver.
Terry Finley, head of West Point, said he was looking to get another 2-year-old to potentially put on the Triple Crown trail. Weaver trained Thunder’s Honor, the horse Septimius Severus beat that day. Weaver made a phone call to Charlton Baker, trainer of Septimius Severus, and the wheels were put in motion to get a deal done. Septimius Severus, a Pennsylvania-bred son of Roman Ruler, was owned by Kenia Lezcano’s Happy Face Racing Stable.
“I thought he ran well,” Finley said. “He looks and acts like he wants to go farther. It wasn’t an exorbitant [price]. We’ll take him to Florida to Palm Beach Downs and we’ll see where he lands.”
Septimius Severus earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for his win.