Brown Trio Headline the New York S.

Chad Brown holds a strong hand in Friday's GII New York S. with the talented trio of Sea Calisi (Fr) (Youmzain {Ire}), Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy) and Guapaza (Chi) (Seeking the Dia). Martin Schwartz's Sea Calisi gets the morning-line nod off a decisive victory in the GII Sheepshead Bay S. here May 7 in her American debut for the Brown barn. Winner of Saint-Cloud's G2 Prix de Malleret last summer, the bay completed the trifecta in both the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix Vermeille and was off the board in her final start for trainer Francois Doumen in the G1 QIPCO British Champions F & M S. last October.

Sea Calisi's main rival in this test seems to be stablemate Dacita, owned by Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds. The chesnut captured last summer's GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga, but was a non-factor ninth next out in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf Oct. 31. Missing by just a neck to another Brown trainee in the GIII Very One S. at Gulfstream Mar. 5, she was fourth last time behind Royal Ascot-bound champion Tepin (Bernstein) in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Apr. 16. A two-time GSW in her native Chile, Don Alberto Stable's Guapaza finished third in the Very One and was second last time in the Sheepshead Bay.

“All of them are doing well,” said Brown. “Dacita clearly prefers a firm course but all things being equal I would prefer a dryer weather pattern heading into this race. I wouldn't want anything too soft or yielding, but wherever each of our runners place themselves during the race is fine by me.”

Todd Pletcher saddles what could be a major threat to the Brown contingent in GISW Photo Call (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Winner of last term's GIII Violet S. and GI Rodeo Drive S., she finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup in what was her final start for Mrs. P. K. Cooper and trainer Graham Motion. Subsequently sold for $3 million to Teresa Viola Racing Stable at the Keeneland November sale and transferred to Pletcher, the bay finished fourth to Tepin in Tampa's GIII Endeavour S. Feb. 13 and returned to winning ways in Gulfstream's GIII Orchid S. last time Apr. 2.