Chad Brown

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Just like always, the bell in the winner's circle was rung 17 minutes before every race at the Spa Thursday afternoon. Of course. Exactly 17 minutes. Even on the most unusual of opening days at Saratoga Race Course, tradition was served. It is Saratoga after all. Phil Linguiti did the honors, yanking the strap that moved the clapper to produce the sound. Linguiti, a former jockey and longtime white cap in the clubhouse, is a familiar figure at Saratoga. Since this 152nd season is racing in Saratoga Springs...

Paul Pompa's Country Grammer (Tonalist) was ultra-game in securing his first black-type score in the rescheduled and relocated GIII Peter Pan S. on Saratoga's opening day Thursday. Saving ground in fourth, the 4-1 shot sat a few lengths off the longshot pacesetter Mo Hawk (Uncle Mo) through a :23.24 opening quarter and closed the gap a bit, moving into third as the half went in :48.13. The bay inched up the fence as 22-1 shot Celtic Striker (Congrats) ranged up outside the leader with Caracaro (Uncle Mo) hot on his...

Chad Brown notched 23 wins to finish as the leading trainer at the Belmont spring/summer meet for the fifth consecutive time and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. posted 34 victories to lead all riders as the 25-day meet concluded Sunday at Belmont Park. Klaravich Stables led all owners with 13 wins, outpacing second-place finisher Michael Dubb, who had seven victories. "I'm really proud of our team. We had a late start to the year and it was frustrating for everybody--the staff, the owners, everybody involved," Brown said. "Our team held it...

On a day when Chad Brown secured his 100th and 101st Grade I victories, Dunbar Road--already a Grade I winner herself--added to the haul in an event that was downgraded from highest-level status a couple years ago. Saving all the ground tucked just behind the speed early, the prohibitive favorite split rivals under confident handling heading for home. Saracosa tried to shadow that one's move, but Dunbar Road simply outclassed her competition to win geared down by as much as she pleased. An eight-length debut winner at Gulfstream last March,...

Already a Grade I winner at ages two, three and four, 'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) made it four straight seasons at the highest level with a record-setting victory in the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Saturday, which she also won last season. Away in good order, the 4-5 chalk was hot on pacesetting Jolie Olimpica (Brz)'s (Drosselmeyer) tail in second with Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to her inside through upbeat fractions of :23.42 and :46.94. Ranging up to look Jolie Olimpica in the...

Keeneland's GI Madison S. was a battle between 'TDN Rising Stars' Guarana (Ghostzapper) and Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) from start to finish, but in the end it was Guarana who won the gutsy brawl. Favored at 1-2, Guarana went straight to the front and was hounded by Mia Mischief, who was let go at a surprising at 8-1, through early splits of :22.95 and :45.92. Mia Mischief drew even with Guarana at the top of the stretch and briefly headed her younger rival, but Guarana battled back in the final...

OXO Equine's $1.8-million Keeneland September yearling Vintage Print (Curlin) returns to Lexington for Sunday's GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. The Chad Brown trainee didn't show much in a pair of main-track efforts in New York last fall, but looked like a different horse when trying turf to graduate at Gulfstream Feb. 22. The son of GISW Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) ran down speedy Mike Maker pupil Fancy Liquor (Lookin At Lucky) to clear his first-level allowance condition at Churchill June 11. Another Transylvania pair who made up a Churchill exacta last...

Dunbar Road (Quality Road) lays over a field of eight entered for Saturday's GII Delaware H. Last term's GI Alabama S. and GII Mother Goose S. heroine followed a third-place finish behind Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. with her lone career off-the-board finish, reporting home fifth behind that foe in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. Trained by Chad Brown, the Peter Brant colorbearer got right back on track with a visually impressive, come-from-behind victory while making her 4-year-old debut in the...

'TDN Rising Star' Guarana (Ghostzapper), already a two-time Grade I winner from only five career starts, will look to remain undefeated around one turn in Saturday's GI Madison S. at Keeneland. Accorded 'Rising Star' status after romping by better than 14 lengths through the local slop last April, the bay defeated GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress (Alternation) by a half-dozen lengths in the GI Acorn S. last June and successfully stretched to two turns in the GI CCA Oaks at Saratoga the following month. She suffered her first loss...

Already a four-time stakes winner at Keeneland, eFive Racing Thoroughbreds's 'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) looks to add to that total in defense of her title in Saturday's GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. Winner of the GIII Jessamine S. at two and the GIII Applachian S. and GI QE II Challenge Cup at three, Rushing Fall controlled the pace in last year's Jenny Wiley, her one-length victory belying the ease with which it was accomplished. The $320,000 FTSAUG acquisition repeated the dose in the GI Just A...

A trio of top-rung winners head a field of nine in Friday's feature at Keeneland, the GI Maker's Mark Mile S. Leading the fray is Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who most recently marked his seasonal debut with a victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita May 25. A three-time graded winner in 2018, including Del Mar's GI Hollywood Derby, the French-bred hit the board in three of five starts last term, including a second in the GI Fourstardave H. at Saratoga in August followed by a...

Reigning champion turf mare Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), who finished third in her seasonal debut in the June 27 GI Just A Game S., may make her next start against colts in the GI Fourstardave S. Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course. The Chad Brown trainee, who suffered her only loss of 2019 in last year's Fourstardave, wrapped up her championship-earning season by taking the GI First Lady S. at Keeneland in course-record time and the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. "The only Grade I going a...