Randomized makes every pole a winning one in the Alabama (Joe Labozzetta)
Aspray, Surge Capacity Targeting G1 QEII
Whitebeam, In Italian Will Train Up to G1 First Lady
Stone Age To Make Debut for Brown in G1 Sword Dancer
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown expressed pride in the performance displayed by Klaravich Stables’ Randomized in Saturday’s Grade 1 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales at Saratoga Race Course, where she proved 10-furlong capabilities in gate-to-wire fashion.
“It was a big question mark going a mile and a quarter, I wasn’t sure,” Brown said. “But I’m so impressed that she was able to set strong fractions and kick on to get the distance. I was really blown away by the performance. My team did a good job in developing her. She ran her eyeballs out, so she’s getting some well-deserved rest right now.”
Randomized, by Nyquist, earned a career-high 98 Beyer Speed Figure from the four-length triumph over Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Wet Paint. She set the tempo under jockey Joel Rosario with Grade 1 Ashland victress Defining Purpose keeping close company to her outside in second. In the stretch drive, Randomized shook loose from the hard-trying Wet Paint and Defining Purpose and crossed the wire under a hand ride.
The win was the second straight for Randomized, who captured the restricted Wilton on July 14 at Saratoga following a distant sixth in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. on June 9 at Belmont Park. She also provided Brown and Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables with a sixth collaborative stakes victory this meet. In addition to Randomized’s pair of conquests, Brown and Klarman teamed up to win with Program Trading [Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational], Technical Analysis [De Le Rose], McKulick [Grade 2 Glens Falls] and Surge Capacity [Grade 3 Lake George].
Brown said the Grade 1 Cotillion on September 23 at Parx Racing or the Grade 1 Spinster on October 8 at Keeneland against older fillies and mares are both under consideration.
“Everything is in play, it depends on how much recovery time she needs and how she’s doing,” Brown said. “I’m going to enjoy this, but I have no plans yet.”
Bred in Kentucky by Cove Springs, Randomized is out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare French Passport – a half-sister to graded stakes-winning millionaire Smooth Air and Grade 2 winner Overdriven. She was a $420,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling Sale and is a direct descendant of Reine de Course mare Bold Irish.
Two races prior, Brown visited the winner’s circle with Ran Jan Racing’s Kentucky homebred Aspray, who captured the Grade 2 Lake Placid after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 8.
The sophomore daughter of Quality Road earned a career-high 92 Beyer for the two-length triumph over stablemate Surge Capacity, where she stalked the pace from fourth under Flavien Prat before taking command inside the three-sixteenths pole to score her second stakes victory. Aspray won the one-mile Hilltop two starts back on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.
Brown said both Aspray and Surge Capacity will target the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 14 at Keeneland.
“I’m going to train her right up to the QEII, and I’ll do the same thing with Surge Capacity,” said Brown.
Brown sent out a handful of his stable stars to the Oklahoma training turf on Sunday, including Juddmonte’s homebred Whitebeam, who clocked a half-mile in 49 seconds flat in her third work since winning the Grade 1 Diana on July 15. Also on the work tab for Brown was Peter Brant’s 2022 Diana winner In Italian, who worked a half-mile in 49.55 seconds.
Brown previously considered running Whitebeam in Thursday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa, but will train the daughter of Caravaggio up to the Grade 1 First Lady on October 7 at Keeneland.
“I decided to wait with her. Both her and In Italian will train right up to the First Lady,” Brown said.
Stone Age worked five furlongs in 1:01.85 over the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 26 at Saratoga – a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Santa Anita.
The Irish-bred son of Galileo will make his debut for Brown in the Sword Dancer after being campaigned overseas by Aidan O’Brien. He made the trek across the pond three times last year, finishing a respective third and fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational. Following a pair of fifth-place efforts at Group 1 level, he came back to North America to finish second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.
“Steady work tab,” Brown said of Stone Age. “He worked well this morning and I’m planning on entering in the Sword Dancer.”
