Trainer Chad Brown (left) going over game plans with owner Peter Brant. (Susie Raisher)
Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Week 5 stakes probables
NYRA Notes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have two chances to secure his second consecutive score in the $100,000 Woodhaven, a one-mile turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Brown, who won last year’s edition with Unanimous Consent, will saddle Klaravich Stables’ stakes-winning New York-bred Neural Network for his turf debut and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Michael Kisber and William Rucker’s Belouni (FR) for his second American start off a seventh-place finish in the March 4 Colonel Liam at Gulfstream Park.
“They’ve both been doing fine, so we’ll see how they do,” said Brown.
Neural Network was last seen claiming victory in the one-mile state-bred Gander on February 25 over the Big A main track after Maker’s Candy crossed the wire first but was disqualified and placed second due to interference in the stretch. The son of the Grade 1 Preakness-winning Brown alumnus Cloud Computing graduated impressively on debut in a seven-furlong state-bred maiden in November before finishing a closing fourth in the Jerome on January 7 going the Woodhaven distance over a good main track.
The dark bay colt, bred by Milfer Farm, worked a half-mile in 49.74 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track on Saturday.
“We’ll try the turf because he’s always given us the impression that he’ll like it,” said Brown. “He was here all winter and we were just waiting for the turf to open. He did fine on dirt and won that stake last out, but we’ll see if he can move up a notch on the turf. We were just waiting for the right time to try it.”
Belouni, a French-bred son of Fast Company, made his American debut and first start for Brown last out in the one-mile Colonel Liam. There, he was squeezed at the start and trailed in last-of-8 throughout before swinging eight-wide in the final turn and running evenly down the lane to finish seventh. The bay colt was stakes-placed in his native France for previous conditioner Christophe Escuder, finishing a game second in Criterium de Lyon in September at Lyon-Parilly.
“He came up and has been training fine here,” said Brown. “I don’t think he cared for the turf down there [at Gulfstream], so we’ll see how he does on this course. I like the horse, so I’m hoping he can turn it around.”
Belouni worked a half-mile in 48.20 on Saturday over the turf at Payson Park Training Center.
Manny Franco has been tasked with the ride aboard Neural Network [5-2] from the outermost post 6 while Jose Ortiz will pilot Belouni [9-5] from post 4.
Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Week 5 stakes probables
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
$100K Memories of Silver
Probable: Bulsara (Michael Trombetta), Hang the Moon (Michael Stidham), Juniper’s Moon (Anthony Dutrow), Lady Beth (Chad Brown), Queen Picasso (Christophe Clement), Royalty Interest (Brown)
Possible: Thirty Thou Kelvin (John Terranova), Unified Alliance (John Servis), Violet Gibson (Saffie Joseph, Jr.)
SUNDAY, APRIL 30
$100K Affirmed Success (NYB)
Probable: Amundson (Rob Atras), Listentoyourheart (Ray Handal), Lobsta (Gary Sciacca), Scocciatore (Rudy Rodriguez), Sheriff Bianco (Linda Rice)
Possible: My Boy Tate (Michelle Nevin)
