Program Trading in the winner’s circle following his Saratoga Derby (G1) triumph (Susie Raisher)
Whitebeam, Technical Analysis May Head to G2 Ballston Spa
Plans Undecided for G1 Whitney Runner-up Zandon
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Klaravich Stables’ Program Trading earned a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure with a hard-fought victory over yielding turf in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational going 1 3/16 miles over the Spa Mellon Turf Course.
Trained by Chad Brown, who won the 2020 Saratoga Derby with Domestic Spending, the sophomore Lope de Vega ridgling kept a spotless record afloat when running on an uncontested lead and battling to the inside of a game Webslinger, who put his head in front at the stretch call. But Program Trading had enough grit to fight back and win by a head under Flavien Prat.
Program Trading entered the Saratoga Derby from a five-length debut score against elders in May at Monmouth and an allowance optional claiming conquest in June at Belmont Park. Both races were run at 1 1/16 miles.
“He showed a lot of heart and handled the distance and the ground well,” Brown said. “I’m very, very pleased. I wasn’t surprised, I wasn’t in any way certain he was going to win the race, but we quite liked the horse. At the eighth pole I said to myself, ‘We’re going to see how good he is now, he has to come back on the inside with inexperience’. He more than impressed me.”
Brown noted that the turf was likely the softest on the inside.
“That’s what I was hearing from the jockeys, but on the other hand it looked like he was always handling well and that’s good to know down the road,” Brown said.
In winning the Saratoga Derby Invitational, Program Trading earned an automatic entry into the $AUD 5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Australia. But Brown said the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in late fall at Del Mar and the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf in January at Gulfstream Park are both likely options.
“Down the road, the Hollywood Derby looks like a potentially nice race for that horse. I might give him a breather now and give him one prep for the Hollywood Derby,” Brown said. “Good horse for the Pegasus. He handled soft turf, but he handled firm turf at Monmouth, too.”
Additionally, Brown said Program Trading would likely bypass the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby on October 7 at Belmont at the Big A, due to its three-turn configuration.
Bred in Great Britain by Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm & Stud, Program Trading is out of the Oasis Dream mare Dreamlike – a full sister to stakes-placed Fashion Fund and half-sister to Group 2 winning stayer Silk Sari. Her third dam was dual Group 1 winner Gossamer – a half-sister to 1994 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Barathea.
On Sunday morning, Brown had his hands full with multiple workers on the Oklahoma training turf. Among these were Juddmonte’s British homebred Whitebeam, who had her second work back since capturing the Grade 1 Diana on July 15 at Saratoga.
Brown said he would discuss the whereabouts of her next start with Juddmonte’s General Manager Garrett O’Rourke and mentioned the Grade 2, $300,000 Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa as a possible target.
“She’s not out of the question for the Ballston Spa,” Brown said. “Our initial feeling was maybe to wait for the First Lady at Keeneland. But I’ll talk to Garrett, see how she comes out and come up with a plan as far as what we think is the best for her development and eventually look at the Breeders’ Cup.”
Whitebeam, by Caravaggio, is out of the Oasis Dream mare Sleep Walk, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Logician. She is a direct descendant of influential matriarch La Troienne.
Should Whitebeam target the Ballston Spa, she will likely be joined by Klaravich Stables’ horse for course Technical Analysis, who earned her fourth stakes triumph at the Spa in Wednesday’s one-mile De La Rose over the inner turf. The 5-year-old daughter of Kingman won the Grade 3 Lake George and Grade 2 Lake Placid in 2021 before capturing last year’s running of the Ballston Spa.
“I’m leaning towards the Ballston Spa for her. She has such a nice record at Saratoga, she loves it here,” Brown said. “It’s back in about three or four weeks, but she does so well here and it will be her last year of racing for us. Might as well strike while the iron’s hot at Saratoga.”
Bred in Ireland by Rabbah Bloodstock, Technical Analysis is out of the two-time winning Sea the Stars mare Sealife and was bought for $258,109 from the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
After saddling Program Trading to his Saratoga Derby triumph, Brown sent out Jeff Drown’s Zandon to a runner-up effort to White Abarrio in the Grade 1 Whitney. The 4-year-old son of Upstart earned a 100 Beyer – his sixth triple digit number in 12 lifetime starts – for his second place finish to White Abarrio, who won by 6 1/4 lengths.
“Zandon looked good. He was a little tired today, but he ran very credible,” Brown said. “The winner was super impressive and I was pleased he was able to get up for second. It frustrates me that he’s not able to break through and have his big win, but he’s a very consistent horse. We’ll just see how he comes out of this race. I hadn’t made any plans other than this, I was really pointing towards the Whitney all year. Now I’ll step back and talk to Jeff Drown give him some feedback on the horse and see what we both think together.”
