Chad Brown

Valley View Seems Ripe For An Upset

An overflow field of 3-year-old fillies is set to face the starter for Friday' GII Bank of America Valley View Stakes on the final couple of days of racing at the Keeneland Fall Meet. For bettors, the 8 1/2-furlong feature, which carries purse money of $400,000 (including KTDF money), seems like a true 'spread' race. Minnesota-bred Play With Fire (Oscar Performance) looms a logical favorite to give Chad Brown his second Valley View winner in the space of three years (Surge Capacity, 2023). Acquired privately from Fergus Galvin and trainer...

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Village Voice Preps for Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf

Resolute Racing's Village Voice (GB) (Zarak {Fr}) completed her first breeze back on Sunday since winning the Oct. 5 GIII Waya at Belmont at the Big A as she prepares for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trained by Chad Brown, the 5-year-old breezed a half-mile in :50.16 seconds in company with Alimara (Fr) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) over the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga. "Just a little maintenance half on the turf," said Brown. "I thought she was moving really well. Her...

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Duration outside, Sierra Leone inside at Saratoga
Sierra Leone Breezes for Breeders' Cup Classic

The reigning GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) breezed a half-mile in :49.08 (10/44) on Saturday over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga in preparation for his title defense in the $7-million centerpiece on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trained by Chad Brown, the dark bay worked to the inside of the maiden Duration (Mitole) after the first renovation break on the track rated fast. "He worked super," said Brown. "He has been very consistent with the way he's been...

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Gun Runner's Paladin Elevated to First Out Win at Belmont Big A

5th-Belmont The Big A, $85,000, Msw, 10-17, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.11, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. PALADIN (c, 2, Gun Runner--Secret Sigh, by Tapit) scored his first career win here, albeit not in a way his connections likely believed he would after Renegade (Into Mischief)--first across the line--was disqualified to second. The even-money favorite for this unveiling, Paladin was never far from the front as he pushed Credit History (Nyquist) through an opening quarter in :23.20 and a half in :46.48. Asked to take command passing the half-mile, he had a slim...

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Whisper Hill Homebred Just Aloof All Business In Her Aqueduct Debut

Whisper Hill Farm homebred JUST ALOOF (f, 2, Justify--Aloof {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) came running late down the center of the Aqueduct turf course to take her debut Thursday. The 8-1 shot, who spent much of the race in a mid-pack fifth, had to fan out wide with a quarter-mile left but rallied to get by race favorite and stablemate Market Hours (Practical Joke) in the final yards for the win. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O/B-Whisper Hill Farm; T-Chad Brown.

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Friday's Racing Insight: Pricey Paladin Knighted For Unveiling Around One Turn At Big A

5th-BAQ, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:21 p.m. ET. Bred by Summer Wind, PALADIN (Gun Runner) easily was knighted as a top-twelve price during the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale when the chestnut was hammered down for $1.9-million. The ownership group of Mrs. John Magnier, Peter Brant, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Brook Smith and Jane Lyon, who stayed in for a piece, sent the colt to trainer Chad Brown. Out of unraced Secret Sigh (Tapit), the first-time starter is a half-brother to a colt by Into Mischief--taken home by Case...

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Nothing Arbitrary About It: Randomized Set to Shine on Night of the Stars

When Seth Klarman stretched for a yearling filly by Nyquist at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, he paid $460,000, which trainer Chad Brown said was, "at the top end of what he goes for for yearlings." That filly, Randomized, went on to earn four times that amount on the track and now figures to be one of the star attractions at the November 3 Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars when she sells as hip 137 in the EliTE consignment. "She was one of our top picks at the sale," recalled...

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Sierra Leone to Ashford Stud in 2026

Sierra Leone (Gun Runner--Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon), last year's champion 3-year-old colt, will join the roster at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky next year, the operation announced Wednesday. Racing for Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook Smith and trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone is expected to make his final career start in the Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, a race he won in 2024. Sierra Leone, who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale when selling for $2.3 million, was tabbed a 'TDN...

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Connections Mull Breeders' Cup Options for Aqueduct Stakes Winners

Miguel Clement sent out a pair of runners to earn automatic berths in Breeders' Cup races with wins at Aqueduct this past weekend and the trainer expects both to make the trip to Del Mar, but other conditioners were taking a wait-and-see approach before committing their Aqueduct stakes winners to championship weekend. The Clement-trained Bottas (Vekoma) took his record to two-for-two with a win in the GII Pilgrim Stakes Friday. That victory earned him a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. "Bottas was very impressive in just his...

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No 'Rhetorical' Questions: Another Not This Time Winner of the Coolmore Mile

Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable's Rhetorical (Not This Time) provided his all-conquering sire with his second winner of Keeneland's GI Coolmore Turf Mile in the space of three years, striking from close range to earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Del Mar for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile exactly four weeks down the road. Not This Time's Eclipse Award-winning son Up to the Mark won this event in 2023 ahead of a very good runner-up effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Only once-beaten in five career starts coming...

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'TDN Rising Star' Asbury Park Sails Home To Take Jockey Club Derby At BAQ

With a big kick down the lane, Asbury Park (GB) (Frankel (GB)--Limonar (Ire), by Street Cry {Ire}) rolled home to take the GII Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at the Big A on Saturday. Named a 'TDN Rising Star', presented by Hagyard, after the colt won at second asking in what was his 3-year-old debut over the grass going two turns upstate June 6, Asbury Park was well-beaten against optional claimers at course and distance July 18. The Chad Brown trainee was last seen running third in the Saranac Stakes...

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Rated By Merit Takes the Big Apple by Storm, Remains Perfect in Discovery

He hasn't been seen since November, but unbeaten Rated by Merit (Battalion Runner) returned to the winner's enclosure like he never left it in the first place in the Discovery Stakes. A sensation who garnered national attention last season in Florida while in the shedrow of Michael Yates, he was unveiled July 13 at Gulfstream to an eye-catching 9 3/4-length tour-de-force against open maidens--soundly beating MSP Forged Steel (Vekoma)--and just kept going from there. He rolled right through the Florida sire stakes circuit with open margins in the Dr. Fager...

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