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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown breezed Early Voting and Zandon Saturday over the Saratoga Race Course main track in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, a nine-furlong test for sophomores.
Jeff Drown’s Zandon went five-eighths solo in 1:01.95 under exercise rider Kriss Bon, while the Klaravich Stables-owned duo of Early Voting, with Jose Ortiz up, and Accretive covered the same distance in 1:01.05. Accretive is pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomores on July 31 at the Spa.
Brown said both of his Jim Dandy contenders worked well.
“Both horses did really well. Zandon went alone. It was a nice easy work for him. I was really pleased in how he was moving,” Brown said. “With Early Voting, I did a little bit more with him today with a workmate. He went fabulous. I was very pleased. As long as they come out of the works well, I’ll be happy.”
Brown said Early Voting, last-out winner of the Grade 1 Preakness on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course, impressed in his first breeze over the Saratoga main track.
“We wanted to see how he was moving over the track,” Brown said. “He seems to be a pretty good horse in that way. It seems he takes his racetrack with him. I never see him train poorly, but it’s always nice to get that out of the way and give him a work over the track to see that he’s moving well.”
Early Voting, by Gun Runner, did breeze a handful of times over the Oklahoma dirt training track last fall ahead of a winter campaign at Aqueduct Racetrack that included a frontrunning romp in the Grade 3 Withers in February ahead of a runner-up effort to eventual Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winner Mo Donegal in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino.
Zandon, a dark bay son of Upstart, was a game second to Mo Donegal in the Grade 2 Remsen in December at the Big A. Two starts later, he posted a rallying score in the Grade 1 Blue Grass in April at Keeneland ahead of his last-out third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs.
Accretive, by Practical Joke, was purchased for $180,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He graduated impressively on debut, drawing off to a 5 3/4-length score in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on June 26 at Belmont Park.
Brown has nine horses entered in stakes on today’s Grade 1 Haskell card at Monmouth Park led by the undefeated Jack Christopher in the featured $1 million event. Both Brown and Ortiz, who has the mount on the talented Munnings chestnut in the nine-furlong test for sophomores, left Saratoga shortly after morning training.
While Brown will be busy on multiple fronts Saturday, he will also have representation Sunday in the first leg of Canada’s Triple Tiara with Sahlabiya, who is entered in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, a nine-furlong test for Canadian-bred sophomore fillies.
A maiden through two starts on turf at Belmont, Sahlabiya is listed at 3-1 on the morning-line with Kazushi Kimura named to ride. Kimura is off his mounts Saturday after being dismounted during a race on Friday.
The Medaglia d’Oro bay, out of the Tapit mare Orchard Beach, is a half-sister to Group 3-winner Sergei Prokofiev. She finished third in her May 1 debut in a race won by Canisy by a neck over the Brown-trained Contemporary Art. Canisy has since captured an allowance tilt at Saratoga.
Last out, Sahlabiya set the pace in a nine-furlong maiden special weight en route to a runner-up effort, finishing 4 1/2-lengths back of Contemporary Art.
To graduate in style, Sahlabiya will have to better the graded-stakes placed Moira, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, who is trained by Kevin Attard for X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables and SF Racing. Brown said he is cautiously optimistic of his filly’s chances while trying Tapeta for the first time.
“She’s a maiden and there’s one favorite that’s a proven stakes horse in there. We’re going to take a shot,” Brown said. “I know she’ll get the distance. She’s lightly-raced. It’s a very prestigious race.”
Brown, who leads the Spa summer meet with seven wins heading into Saturday’s card, saddled the one-two finishers in Friday’s Grade 3 Lake Geoge with Dolce Zel [86 Beyer] nosing out Eminent Victor [85 Beyer]. He also sent out debut maiden winner Appraise in the Friday opener to post a head score in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint that garnered a 74 Beyer.
NYRA Press Office
Main Photo: Zandon works in company (Janet Garaguso)
