SARATOGA SPRINGS — On a bright Friday morning, renowned trainer Chad Brown was seen communicating with his exercise riders via walkie-talkie as they put his stakes horses through their paces on the lush turf of the Oklahoma Training Track.
Among the horses was the striking gray, Whitebeam, who had previously clinched the Grade I Diana during the opening weekend of the 2023 Saratoga Race Course meet. Also present was the chestnut horse with a distinctive white splash on his nose, Carl Spackler, who had won the Grade II National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and the Grade III Saranac at the Spa the previous summer.
Brown’s feedback to his riders was consistently positive, indicating that his horses are primed and ready for the commencement of the 2024 meet on Thursday.
Later, at the barn, he mused, “You always question if you’ve done enough preparation.”
That’s the nature of Saratoga, where everyone strives to bring their top-tier horses.
Given his track record, Brown is well-positioned to make another bid for the meet training title, based on the number of victories. If successful, most of these victories will likely come from races like the Diana, a race he has dominated since 2016.
Brown has claimed the meet championship, named in honor of the late Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, six times outright. He shared the title with Linda Rice when the Rice-trained Lt. Mitchell won the final race of the meet.
If Brown has a successful meet, it could be kickstarted by a strong opening weekend. Whitebeam is among the four contenders Brown will have in the Diana next Saturday, and Carl Spackler is set to compete in the Kelso on the Diana undercard.
“As with previous meets in recent years, I have a diverse group of horses, both on the dirt and the turf, and of different ages. We’ll see how it goes,” Brown said.
“Last year, the weather was a major challenge. We had a successful meet, but several races were lost due to the turf conditions. I’m hoping that we’re entering a drier phase of the weather cycle in Saratoga.”
In addition to Whitebeam, Brown’s Diana group should include Chili Flag, who has emerged as one of the top turf fillies and mares this season, Gina Romantica, and possibly Coppice.
He also has Grade I Jenny Wiley winner Beaute Cachee nominated to the Diana.
Despite the Oklahoma turf course being open for timed workouts on Friday, Chili Flag and Beaute Cachee actually trained on the Oklahoma dirt.
“Whitebeam is in good shape for her defense of the Diana,” Brown said. “It appears to be a strong field, from what I gather.
“Chili Flag will be one of the favorites in that race, and she actually trained on the dirt with Beaute Cachee, as that’s part of their regular routine, and they both looked good. Chili Flag’s definitely headed that way.
“Gina Romantica has surprisingly been off form this year. I’m going to give her one more shot at that Grade I level, just to get her back on track. She trained very well.”
Chili Flag has been on a winning streak, clinching the Grade III Honey Fox by a neck at Gulfstream Park in March, the Grade II Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and the Grade I Just A Game on the Friday of Belmont Stakes weekend at Saratoga.
“Chili Flag has really stepped up this year,” Brown said. “She’s in top form. She’s one of the leaders of the division. There are some impressive fillies around the country, and she’s definitely one of them.
“With patience, she’s made it to the top. The big test for her will be the mile and an eighth, to see if she can maintain her closing kick over a slightly longer distance.”
When asked in April which race he covets the most, Brown will invariably say it’s the Kentucky Derby.
However, ask the Mechanicville native the same question after April, and his answer will be the Travers, which is scheduled at his hometown track for Aug. 24.
His top Travers prospect, Sierra Leone, is scheduled to breeze at Saratoga on Sunday, marking Sierra Leone’s third timed workout since he finished third to Dornoch in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 8.
This followed a second-place finish to Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby.
Sierra Leone is aiming for the mile-and-an-eighth Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 27. Brown said he’s still considering training Sierra Leone up to the Travers, but isn’t thrilled with the schedule gap between the Belmont and Travers, both at a mile and a quarter.
Brown also has a potential Travers backup plan.
Unmatched Wisdom wasn’t on the Triple Crown trail and hasn’t run in a stakes, but he’s 2-for-2 and will run in the Curlin on July 19.
“That horse is promising,” Brown said. “So if he can just stay healthy and perform well in the Curlin, he could potentially be another horse for the Travers.”
Besides Sierra Leone, Brown got Domestic Product to the Derby, where he finished 13th, but he’s not a candidate for the Travers.
Domestic Product is entered in the Dwyer at Aqueduct on Saturday after finishing second to Tuscan Sky in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park on June 15.
“I wanted to get him to one turn and then look at maybe the Allen Jerkens,” Brown said. “Although seven [furlongs] might be a little short. But it’s so far away, I don’t know where to run him.
“I gave him a light breeze the other day, two weeks after the Pegasus at Monmouth, and the horse performed excellently. He was just bouncing off the track. I don’t normally run horses back this quickly. It’s a short field. It is a one-turn race, which I’m trying to do with him, cut him back, so we’ll see.”
Randomized, who won in a photo finish over the champion Idiomatic in the Grade I Ogden Phipps on Belmont Day, breezed four furlongs in 49.95 on Friday morning on the Saratoga main track.
Brown said she’ll skip the Grade II Shuvee on July 21 and train up to the Grade I Personal Ensign on Travers Day.
Another of his fillies who performed well on Belmont Day is Ways and Means, who won an allowance by 8 1/4 lengths after finishing fourth to Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks.
Ways and Means is nominated to the one-mile Wilton next Friday, but she’ll likely train up to the Grade I Test on Whitney Day Aug. 3.
Randomized used the Wilton as a steppingstone to a win in the Alabama last year, and this time Brown will try to use that path with Bells Beach.
“I’m always excited when the meet comes around,” Brown said. “It does feel like it starts a little earlier every year. It just feels that way. You always question if you’ve done enough preparation. I feel like we have a strong group of horses, at least to get the meet started in the first condition book.
“I know we tied for the title last year. If we’re in the mix during the last week or so and start looking at it, it’s exciting for everyone involved, especially in this area, because I’m from here. But unless the quality of races is meaningful, I’m more focused on the Travers and races of that caliber.”
Disagree – Not sure if they can maintain their momentum this season.
Uncaring – I’m not really following the races this year.
Disagree – I think they might struggle with the competition this year.