- Chad Brown’s Breeders’ Cup brigade on the work tab
- Multiple G1-winner Gufo works in preparation for G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown worked multiple Breeders’ Cup contenders on a crisp and overcast Saturday morning at Belmont Park.
Highly-regarded juvenile colt Jack Christopher breezed in preparation for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on November 5 at Del Mar.
The talented Munnings chestnut covered five-eighths in 1:00.85 seconds in company with Grade 1 Frizette runner-up Gerrymander over a fast main track in his first major work since capturing the Grade 1 Champagne on October 9 at Belmont Park.
“He’s trained brilliant since Day One and he continues to do so,” Brown said. “I’m very impressed with that horse every time he works.”
A victory in the Juvenile would provide Brown a second career win in the race after scoring in 2017 with maiden Good Magic, who finished second in that year’s Champagne.
Klaravich Stables’ Gerrymander, a 2-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, is possible for the one-mile $150,000 Tempted on November 5 at Belmont.
William S. Farish homebred Royal Flag, a 5-year-old Candy Ride mare, went a half-mile in 48.66 over Big Sandy in her first breeze since capturing the Grade 2 Beldame on October 10 at Belmont.
She will make her next start in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 6.
Brown also sent a number of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls to breeze over the firm inner turf Saturday, including Grade 1-winners Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan. Both horses are bound for the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf and worked five furlongs in tandem in 1:01.55.
“They worked very well,” Brown said. “They were a good team together. I was very pleased with the work.”
Tribhuvan captured the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park two starts back en route to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational on August 28 at Saratoga.
Domestic Spending will seek redemption following a second as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Mister D [formerly the Arlington Million] at Arlington Park. Owned by Klaravich Stables, the 4-year-old Kingman colt captured this year’s Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, following the footsteps of 2019 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner and Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, who also was trained by Brown and owned by Klaravich.
Newly minted Grade 1-winner Rockemperor registered his first move since taking the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 at Belmont. The 5-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor recorded a solo half-mile in 50 seconds flat and is on target for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Peter Brant’s graded stakes winner My Sister Nat breezed five furlongs in company with Juddmonte homebred Pocket Square in preparation for the 11-furlong Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
My Sister Nat, who defended her title in the Grade 3 Waya on October 3 at Belmont last out, is a half-sister to Sistercharlie who captured the 2018 Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs. My Sister Nat was third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational on September 4 at Saratoga en route to her Waya score.
Brown said he has been highly impressed with Pocket Square since her triumph in the Grade 3 Athenia on September 25 at Belmont last out. The daughter of Night of Thunder notched her first stateside graded stakes triumph in the nine-furlong test coming off a sharp 4 ¼-length score in an optional claiming tilt at Saratoga.
“For right now, she’s doing everything I’m asking her to do,” Brown said. “I really liked her work today and her gallop out. I would like to try her going that far. I know it’s a huge step up in class, but I’m very, very pleased with how she’s doing and I think she can get a piece of it.”
Klaravich Stables’ Consumer Spending worked five furlongs in 1:02.25 in company with graded-stakes placed maiden Kinchen.
Consumer Spending, a gray or roan daughter of More Than Ready, is pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 5 following a victory in the Selima on October 2 at Laurel Park.
“She worked solid and galloped out strongly,” Brown said. “She’s coming into the race that right way. It’s a big step up but she’s an improving horse.”
Peter Brant’s Regal Glory [51.11] and Juddmonte’s Viadera [51.10] breezed a half-mile in company. The pair of 5-year-old mares finished a respective second and sixth in the Grade 1 First Lady on October 9 at Keeneland last out and will target the Grade 1, $400,000 Matriarch on November 28 at Del Mar.
“They had their first work since the First Lady at Keeneland and it went well,” Brown said. “Both horses are targeting the Matriarch. That race will be the final career start for them both.”
Peter Brant’s Blowout, who captured the Grade 1 First Lady last out, breezed a half-mile in 50.80 seconds over the Keeneland turf Saturday morning and is “possible” for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile.
“She’s possible for the Breeders’ Cup. If not, she’ll go to the Matriarch as well,” Brown said.
Blowout finished a close second to Viadera in last year’s Matriarch. Never worse than fourth in 14 lifetime starts, the consistent daughter of Dansili captured her 2021 debut in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile on May 2.
Brown said Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup one-two finishers Shantisara and Technical Analysis will get turned out at Payson Park in South Florida for the winter.
“They’ll head down to our Payson Park division shortly when we get that open and they’ll get a much deserved turnout,” Brown said. “Both horses will get a break and then target spring stakes. Probably both will have the [Grade 1] Jenny Wiley [at Keeneland] on their radar next year.”
Multiple G1-winner Gufo works in preparation for G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf
Trainer Christophe Clement sent a number of his stable stars to breeze over the Belmont inner turf Saturday led by Otter Bend Stables’ multiple Grade 1-winner Gufo [48.66], who worked a half-mile in company with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles’ graded-stakes placed New York-bred City Man [49.26].
Clement said Gufo, a 4-year-old son of Declaration of War, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 6 at Del Mar, while City Man will target the $200,000 Mohawk here on Empire Showcase Day October 30.
“It was a good work. City Man in front; Gufo further back and finished very willing,” Clement said. “Gufo looked great. He will work back next week and then probably go to the Breeders’ Cup. I’ll speak to the owner today to make sure, but as long he’s on board that’s the plan.”
Gufo captured the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational last October and added the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer to his ledger this summer at Saratoga. Last out, the handsome chestnut settled for third in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 over firm Belmont turf.
“He’s one of the leading older horses on the grass in the country and I’m very happy with him,” Clement said.
Clement said the versatile City Man, a stakes-winner on dirt and turf, would prefer firmer footing in the 1 1/16-mile Mohawk .
Jump Sucker Stable’s last out Grade 3 Futurity-winner Slipstream [51.14] breezed a half-mile in company with West Point Thoroughbreds’, Chris Larsen, and Titletown Racing Stables’ last out Grade 3 Matron runner-up Gal in a Rush [51.02].
“It was a good work. They both worked well and finished up very willingly,” Clement said.
Slipstream, by More Than Ready, captured the six-furlong Futurity on October 10 and is targeting the one-mile Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on November 5 at Del Mar, while Gal in a Rush, by Ghostzapper, will point to the six-furlong $100,000 Stewart Manor for juvenile fillies here November 6.
Slipstream, who graduated at third asking sprinting seven furlongs over the Belmont turf in September, has seen his Beyer figures improve in each start, registering an 80 for his Futurity score.
“He’s improving as he gets older and more mature. He’s a nice horse,” Clement said.
Clement noted that last Sunday’s Floral Park-winner Too Sexy, Slipstream’s 4-year-old half-sister by Quality Road out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Cake Baby, will target the $150,000 Autumn Days at six furlongs on the Big A turf on November 28.
Oak Bluff Stables’ Therapist worked a half-mile solo in 50.40 in preparation for either the seven-furlong $100,000 Oyster Bay against open company on Friday or the Mohawk versus fellow state-breds on Saturday.
The 6-year-old Freud gelding, bred by Clement with Oak Bluff Stables, boasts a record of 27-9-3-6 with purse earnings of $715,865.
“He tries very hard. He’s a great horse to own because you know he will always try his best,” Clement said.
Therapist ran second to Somelikeithotbrown in last year’s Mohawk.
Moyglare Stud Farm’s Beautiful Lover [51.06] went a half-mile in company with Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso’s New York-bred stakes-winner Classic Lady [51.02].
The multiple graded-stakes placed Beautiful Lover is on target for the 12-furlong $150,000 Zagora on October 31, while Classic Lady will enter the Ticonderoga on Empire Showcase Day.
Last Sunday, Clement sent out the one-two finishers in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine Racetrack with Al Shira’aa Farms’ Mutamakina edging Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen’s La Dragontea in the 10-furlong turf test.
“They both ran great. It was a big deal – the E.P. Taylor is a major race,” Clement said.
Mutamakina captured the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine in August and Clement said the 5-year-old Nathaniel mare, who provided jockey Dylan Davis his first Grade 1 win, would make her next start in the 12-furlong Grade 3, $400,000 Long Island on November 27 at the Big A.
La Dragontea, a 4-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega, won the nine-furlong Grade 2 Canadian at Woodbine in September. She was recently supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Darlene Bilinski’s Senbei sprinted to a four-length score in the six-furlong New York Breeders’ Futurity on October 18 at Finger Lakes.
Bred in the Empire State by Dr. Jerry Bilinski, the Candy Ride chestnut graduated at first asking in July at Saratoga and followed with a front-running win in the 6 ½-furlong Funny Cide in August at the same track.
Clement said he’s enjoying the ride with the 2-year-old who has won 3-of-4 career starts and will now target the $100,000 Notebook at six-furlongs for state-breds on November 21 at the Big A.
“He won well. He’s fun. He just keeps winning,” said Clement with a laugh.
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Belmont Park Press Release
Photo: Chad Brown ( NYRA photo)
