Trainer Chad Brown is going to be a very busy guy at the upcoming Breeders’ Cup on Nov.1-2 at Santa Anita Park, starting as many as 11 horses during the year-end championship event which features 14 races.
Brown may have starters in as many as half of those races, as he has pre-entered 11 runners including an all-out assault on the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf where he has pre-entered four.
For those of us playing the ponies every day Brown has become a star of the sport, giving trainer Todd Pletcher a run for his money in the past three years at Saratoga, finishing second in the trainer standings behind the five-time Eclipse Award winning trainer. Brown has won an average of 25 races at the Spa the last three summers.
In 2013, Brown is third in the national trainer’s standings in earnings with $10.9 million and has won 124 races, which also ranks third.
The former Bobby Frankel assistant has two Breeders’ Cup wins on his resume, winning the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Maram in 2008 with his first Breeders’ Cup starter, and last year won the Filly & Mare Turf with the upsetter Zagora.
Brown does not have the name recognition among casual fans, who certainly have heard of D. Wayne Lukas (19 Breeders’ Cup wins), Bill Mott (9), Shug McGaughey (9), Bob Baffert (8), and Pletcher (6), but at the age of 35 has plenty of time to be one of the most well-known trainers in the game.
Brown had his first Kentucky Derby starter this year in Normandy Invasion, who checked in fourth.
He may be a little better known by the time the 2013 Breeders’ Cup is over.
Here is a quick look at his pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup:
Alterite (Filly & Mare Turf): This talented filly was a surprise entry as she is not Breeders’ Cup nominated meaning the owners had to come up with $100,000 to supplement her. She won the Garden City (G1) on Sept. 14 at Belmont Park and returned to run a good second in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 12.
Summer Applause (Filly & Mare Sprint): The filly will be cutting back from the nine furlong Spinster (G1) at Keeneland over polytrack where she ran a good second behind Emollient, who won by 1 ¼ lengths. The filly has won three of seven this year including taking a couple of graded stakes in the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) at Pimlico and the Top Flight Handicap (G2) back in March at Aqueduct.
Bobby’s Kitten (Juvenile Turf):The two-year-old is a son of Grade 1 winner Kitten’s Joy and the offspring of this sire seems to be winning every turf race in 2013. The colt broke his maiden in his second career start and then won the Pilgrim (G2) by 6 ¼ lengths in impressive fashion at Belmont Park in his last start. He is going to be a major player.
Kitten Kaboodle (Juvenile Fillies Turf): What a surprise, this filly is by sire Kitten’s Joy and won her stakes debut, taking the Jessamine (G3) at Keeneland on Oct. 9 by 4 ¾ lengths. This filly is one of four Brown pre-entered for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Testa Rossi (Juvenile Fillies Turf):This filly started her career overseas, winning three of five starts in France and made her U.S. debut a winning one, taking the Ms. Grillo (G3) at Belmont Park on Oct. 6. Brown’s Maram prepped in the Ms. Grillo before winning the first running of the race, and the 2009 winner Tapitsfly also had her final prep in the Ms. Grillo.
Granny Mc’s Kitten (Juvenile Fillies Turf): Another offspring of Kitten’s Joy, this filly was the beaten favorite in the Ms. Grillo where she checked in fourth while beaten 4 ½ lengths. She had to break from the 10 post in that outing. In her previous start, she won the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga, which was her first start against winners.
Ready to Act (Juvenile Fillies Turf): After breaking her maiden in her debut she shipped to Woodbine in Canada for the Natalma (G2) where she was sent off as the favorite. She was off a beat slow, tracked the early pace, had a clear lead in the stretch and looked headed to the winner’s circle but she veered in sharply and dumped her jockey.
Easter Gift (Dirt Mile): This four-year-old colt landed in the exacta in his first five starts this year but came up short last out in the Kelso (G2) in a fifth place finish. His lone stakes win came at Penn National in the Mountainview Handicap back in June. The colt is going to be a longshot.
Real Solution (Turf): The colt started his career in Italy and landed with Brown back in May. His first win in the U.S. was thanks to a disqualification in the Arlington Million (G1), and last out he was a solid third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), beaten a length for the top spot by his stablemate Big Blue Kitten.
Big Blue Kitten (Turf): Yes, yet another son of Kitten’s Joy, he suffered a tough beat in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) just a nose shy of beating Little Mike. This colt is a two-time Grade 1 winner in 2013, taking the United Nations and Sword Dancer.
Last Gunfighter (Classic): This colt is going to be a generous price in the Classic despite winning four of his six starts this year. He has won three graded stakes in 2013 but came up short in the Jockey Club Gold Cup in a fifth place finish in his lone start against Grade 1 company.
Michael Dempsey’s Breeders’ Cup Report $34.95 (Fri-Sat)
Michael’s Breeders’ Cup Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for every race on the Friday and Saturday card from Santa Anita Park on Nov. 1-2.
The Breeders’ Cup offers 14 championship races over two days, bringing together the best top horses, trainers, and jockeys from around the world, this year to compete at Santa Anita Park.