Brown plans for Gr. 1 winners’ next race
SARATOGA SPRINGS >> The morning after he saddled 18 runners on the Travers Day card, it was business as usual for trainer Chad Brown.
Brown, who is leading the training standings in his quest for his first Saratoga title, worked several horses Sunday morning over the Oklahoma turf, including Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes winner Sea Calisi, who will run next at the Belmont Park fall championship meet in the Grade 1, $500,00 Flower Bowl Invitational Oct. 8.
Sea Calisi, in her first work since winning the Beverly D. on August 13, covered a half-mile in 50.62 in company with Wekeela.
“Just a maintenance work — stretched (Sea Calisi’s) legs a little bit — worked terrific,” Brown said.
The 1 ¼-mile Flower Bowl, which Brown won last year with Stephanie’s Kitten, en route to her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, is also at the top of the list for Lady Eli’s next start.
Making her first start since winning the Belmont Oaks July 4, 2015, Lady Eli finished second in yesterday’s Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes. She was beaten less than a length by 27-1 long shot Strike Charmer in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes, which was run in 1:38.77, a time that was tantalizingly close to eclipsing Ironicus’ course record of 1:38.54.
“I’m disappointed she got beat, but it was a tall order, she hadn’t run in 14 months, and they ran fast,” Brown said. “I didn’t quite expect the race to go that fast. She just got a little tired at the end. Hopefully, she will get a lot out of that and move forward.”
Flintshire was the star of the day for the Brown barn on Saturday. The turf sensation won the Grade 1 Longines Sword Dancer Stakes by 1 ¾ lengths over stablemate Money Multiplier. It was the second consecutive year the horse won the Sword Dancer, and the third time in row that the 6-year-old won for Brown, who saddled him to a victory earlier in the meet in the Grade 2 Bowling Green. In his first start for Brown, the Juddmonte Farms’ homebred won the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park.
In both the Bowling Green and Sword Dancer there were some anxious moments for his connections, as Flintshire and jockey Javier Castellano found themselves bottled up in traffic on the final turn. But they were able to shake free in both those races, and Flintshire scampered to visually impressive wins.
“He’s a remarkable horse, we’re lucky to have him,” Brown said of the leader of the male turf division in this country. “I’m not surprised anymore (by his races). He came out of his victory great so far and we plan on the Joe Hirsch.”
The Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational will be run at Belmont Park October 1.
Brown also reported that his Travers starters, Connect (sixth), Gift Box (fourth) and My Man Sam (eighth), came out of the race in good order.
McLaughlin praises Cavorting
On the morning after Cavorting added another impressive Saratoga victory to her resume in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Personal Ensign, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin lavished praise on the 4-yearold filly.
Stonestreet Stables’ Cavorting rallied from last to first to win the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign by a halflength over favored Curalina, keeping her perfect Saratoga record intact. She won the Grade 2 Adirondack in 2014 and the Grade 1 Test and Grade 2 Prioress last year.
“She’s a top filly. She’s definitely one of the best fillies I’ve ever trained, if not the best filly,” said McLaughlin, whose three career filly champions include Lahudood, the top turf female of 2007, and Questing, the top 3-yearold filly of 2012. “To win graded stakes at 2, 3 and 4 is quite impressive.”
McLaughlin credited jockey Javier Castellano for his ride on the daughter of champion Bernardini. Castellano had been on her only once before, a win in the Grade 2 Ruffian May 14, and was able to settle her into a comfortable rhythm before swinging outside for the winning stretch drive.
“She broke on the lead and he grabbed her and got her back and saved ground around the first turn. It was an excellent ride,” he said. “He helped us from the beginning taking her back in the Ruffian. It was a great race. They were very nice fillies, all of them. It was neat that they were all across the track. At one time, the tote board said 5-2 on four out of the five. It was a good group and we were happy to win.”
The Personal Ensign was a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Distaff, earning Cavorting an all-feespaid trip to Santa Anita in November. McLaughlin said the Grade 1 Beldame Invitational October 1 at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Spinster October 9 at Keeneland are among the options to get there.
“We’ll probably just go to the Breeders’ Cup, we’re not sure,” he said. “The Beldame is there and the Spinster is there, but probably just to the Breeders’ Cup.”
McLaughlin continues to be mystified by Shadwell Stable’s multiple Grade 2 winner Mohaymen, who finished 11th of 12 as the second choice in the Grade 1 Ketel One King’s Bishop. The sevenfurlong King’s Bishop represented a cutback in distance for the 3-year-old Tapit colt, who has lost four straight starts after opening his career with five consecutive victories.
“I really feel bad for the horse because he’s a top horse and one of my favorites. Since the Florida Derby, it just seems like it’s gone not so well,” he said. “He can’t talk but I feel a burden on my shoulders as I really love the horse. He’s a quality animal, great pedigree, great mind. He can’t talk to me but he’s always not looked like I want him to look, like something isn’t quite 100 percent. All of our horses carry more weight than that.”
Mohaymen will be sent to Shadwell’s farm in Kentucky and likely get the rest of the year off before returning as a 4-year-old.