Brown tries to snap cold streak

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – For most anyone else, it wouldn’t be worth a second glance. But since it’s Chad Brown, who last week was honored with his fourth straight Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer, his recent record at Gulfstream Park qualifies as man-bites-dog kind of news.

Since Brown sent out a pair of winners, Rakeez and Chiclet’s Dream, on the Jan. 17 card, his stable has been on a rare cold streak, with all 12 of his Gulfstream starters since then having been defeated. Owing in no small part to his glowing résumé and reputation, eight of those were betting favorites, including three under the bright spotlight of the Pegasus World Cup card here last Saturday – Without Parole (11th in the Pegasus Turf), Lady Paname (second in the La Prevoyante), and Free Enterprise (ninth in the Fred W. Hooper).

Brown had no Gulfstream entries when action resumed here Wednesday following a two-day break, but he has three scheduled starters on a 10-race Thursday card. He’ll be looking to regain his winning ways when he sends out the uncoupled entry of Bacchanalia and Sister Kitten in the featured ninth race, a $51,000 first-level allowance at 1 3/16 miles on turf. Both of the Brown fillies are 4-year-olds returning from layoffs.

Bacchanalia, owned by Klaravich Stables, won her most recent start, an Oct. 20 maiden race over the Belmont turf, and has been on a steady work schedule at the Palm Meadows Training Center. She will have leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard when she breaks from post 5.

Sister Kitten (post 11, Edgard Zayas) has been away nearly a year, having won a maiden race over the Gulfstream turf last February in her latest appearance. The Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred has been sent through 18 works since late August, the last five at Palm Meadows.

The Thursday feature drew an oversubscribed field of fillies and mares, with Stefanie On Fleek and Cap de Creus, both trained by Todd Pletcher, ranking among the main challengers to the Brown pair. As many as 12 can start.

The third Brown starter on the day is Basie. The 3-yearold Union Rags colt will break from post 1 in the race-10 finale, a maiden-claiming turf route. Basie is among a core of favorites that also figures to include Bee Bridge and another Ramsey homebred, Maverick Kitten.

First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern. The feature is part of the Rainbow 6, which had its jackpot emptied Sunday with a mandatory forceout. The 20-cent wager spans races 5-10.