Stage Raider shows glimpse of half-brother Justify in win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As a half-brother to 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Stage Raider certainly has the pedigree to get his connections excited. Now, he has a performance to, ahem, justify that excitement.

While the Triple Crown prep season was wrapping up Saturday, Stage Raider set the foundation to be a presence in the 3-year-old division in the second half of the year with a flashy 10 3/4-length maiden victory in the slop at Keeneland.

Sitting third early under Irad Ortiz Jr., Stage Raider swallowed up the two pace horses in front of him turning for home. Though he ducked in a few paths after being shown the whip by Ortiz, Stage Raider was quickly corrected and went on to victory under a vigorous hand ride. He covered seven furlongs in 1:22.62 and was assigned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He ran super,” trainer Chad Brown said Sunday morning. “He really trained well all winter. We’re elated with the result, but not totally surprised.”

Saturday was Stage Raider’s second start. In his debut, on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, Stage Raider finished a well-beaten second behind Prevalence. Brown said Stage Raider showed some immaturity prior to that race, but acknowledged that his horse ran “into a buzzsaw” that day.

“And he probably needed the race,” said Brown, who trains Stage Raider, a son of Pioneerof the Nile, for owner/ breeder John Gunther. “He was soundly beaten but ran well to run second. He really got a lot out of that race. Decided to rest him and point him to Keeneland and try him on a different surface as well. He certainly didn’t mind the wet track yesterday. I’m told he came out of the race well so far.”

Brown said Stage Raider has some quirks about him and in that respect reminds him of Empire Maker, Stage Raider’s paternal grandsire, whom Brown was around when he worked for trainer Bobby Frankel.

“I can see a lot of Empire Maker in the horse’s training and you saw a little bit of it in the stretch,” Brown said.

“But he’s a class horse. Yes, he’s a little quirky, but he’s cooperating, he’s learning his job. I’m proud of him.”

Brown plans to ship Stage Raider to Belmont Park in the coming week to 10 days. Brown said he will weigh several options for Stage Raider. The Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 8 at Belmont on May 8, the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 5 at Belmont, and the Pegasus on June 13 at Monmouth Park are among the races he will consider for Stage Raider.

“We’re all excited to stretch the horse out, the way he galloped out and given his pedigree,” Brown said. “Our hope and dream would be he would develop into a Haskell and Travers horse. He’s got a long way to go off a maiden win and on a wet track, albeit, but then again he’s got the pedigree.”

As far as the Kentucky Derby is concerned, Brown still plans to be represented by Blue Grass Stakes runnerup Highly Motivated. That horse is expected to work at Keeneland over the weekend before moving to Churchill Downs on April 19.

While Brown said Sunday he is “strongly leaning” toward training Wood Memorial third-place finisher Crowded Trade to the Preakness on May 15, he left the door open slightly for the Derby.

“I do like how he came out of this race,” Brown said. “He’s really bounced out of it well. I’m pleasantly surprised because he ran really hard, but he looks better now than going into it physically. I want to see him work, I want to see Highly Motivated work. I definitely want to be represented in the Derby with one of them.”

Risk Taking, seventh in the Wood Memorial, is possible for the Peter Pan as a stepping-stone to the Belmont Stakes, Brown said.

Brown said undefeated Search Results is expected to work at Belmont over the weekend before shipping to Kentucky on April 19 to prepare for the Kentucky Oaks there on April 30.

Brown sweeps turf stakes

Brown will weigh his options for Delaware and Regal Glory, who won the first two turf stakes on this circuit over the weekend at Aqueduct.

While the Grade 3 Poker going a mile on June 20 is a logical target for Delaware following his 10-1 upset victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Danger’s Hour Stakes, Brown might like to run the 5-yearold back sooner. There are no good options on the NYRA circuit, so Delaware could be considered for a race like the Grade 2, $250,000 Dinner Party on May 15 at Pimlico, though Brown has others pointing to that race as well.

Brown was gratified to see Delaware win the Danger’s Hour, his first victory in seven starts since Brown had him in his barn. Delaware had only one horse beat turning for home but was able to run down Rinaldi, who had spurted clear on the far turn.

“He had every right to not to win the race yesterday,” Brown said Sunday morning. “I was pretty impressed with that part. The horse he ran down I think is a pretty good horse.”

Delaware, who was purchased for $130,000 last November by an ownership group led by Michael Dubb, earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

On Sunday, Regal Glory won the $100,000 Plenty of Grace by a half-length over Platinum Player, giving Brown his fifth consecutive victory in this one-mile listed turf stakes, which has been run only six times.

Regal Glory is now 4 for 7 going one mile and may have the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont as a potential target. Regal Glory is a five-time stakes winner with only a Grade 1 win missing from her résumé.

Regal Glory, bred and previously owned by the late Paul Pompa Jr., was making her first start for owner Peter Brant in the Plenty of Grace. Brant bought her out of the January Keeneland sale for $925,000. Regal Glory earned a 94 Beyer.