Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Bricks and Mortar looks strong
ELMONT, N.Y. – With each passing week and as he watches another solid workout, trainer Chad Brown wavers on exactly what to do with Bricks and Mortar. Initially saying he was leaning toward cutting the four-time Grade 1 winner back in distance for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, Brown said he is now giving serious thought to stretching Bricks and Mortar out to 1 1/2 miles in the $4 million Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
“I’m very much 50-50,” Brown said Sunday at Belmont. “Put it this way, the mile-anda-half race is very much under consideration at this point the way he is training. He’s settling in his works and finishing and coming back with a tremendous amount of energy after his works. He’s as fit as he’s ever been.”
Brown spoke after Bricks and Mortar worked five furlongs in 1:01.76 on Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s inner turf course. Bricks and Mortar worked in company with Group 1 winner Without Parole, starting a half-length behind that one and finishing a head in front through a 23.21-second final quarter. It was Brick and Mortar’s eighth work since he won the Grade 1 Arlington Million on Aug. 10.
Bricks and Mortar is 3 for 3 at one mile. He has never tried 1 1/2 miles. Brown does not have another horse he is planning to run in the Turf. He does plan to run Uni in the Mile, though he said that is not likely to factor in his decision.
Brown said he “probably will” pre-enter Bricks and Mortar in both the Mile and Turf, giving him and owner Seth Klarman the opportunity to evaluate the competition in both races. Preentries for the Breeders’ Cup must be made by Oct. 21.
Without Parole, a 4-year-old son of Frankel, won the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes at the 2018 Royal Ascot meet. He has lost five consecutive Group 1 stakes and was shipped to Brown from John Gosden over the summer.
Sunday was his sixth work for Brown. Looking long range, Brown believes Without Parole could be a fit for the $7 million Pegasus Turf at Gulfstream in January with a start or two before then.
“Seems to be a really nice, straightforward horse,” Brown said. “He was sent to me very sound. He was well looked after by his previous trainer.”