Chad Brown has won a few things since he started out back in 2007, the trophy cabinet of Saratoga’s local hero groaning plaintively under the weight of silverware and awards.
There have been five Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer, 19 Breeders’ Cup wins, more than 2,800 winners overall, two Preaknesses, 171 G1 wins, and six years at the top of the trainers’ table based on earnings.
It’s a lot to shout about, but Brown isn’t the shouting kind. Under interview conditions he chooses his words carefully, almost lovingly, eager to be understood, not be misunderstood. So given this, and what the record books tell us about his career, there is an extra resonance to his thoughts after winning the G1 Whitney – his first success in the grand old race, add that to his list of laurels – last Saturday with Sierra Leone.
“I’d say unequivocally he’s the best horse I’ve had my hands on,” he said. “I’ve had great horses on both surfaces and a lot of champions, but he’s just in a different league.”
Sierra Leone was dominant in the $1m Whitney, ending his losing streak at the Spa by seeing off a field of flawed but nevertheless talented rivals with relative ease, getting the money under a hand-ride from Flavien Prat by a length from Highland Falls, gaining a 109 Beyer speed figure.
This was despite coming up the lane in the six-path after swinging wide on the home turn, and carrying a few extra pounds of dirt coating his head and chest, soaking up the kickback by virtue of his usual wait-and-come-late approach to the sport. In a crowded, indecisive division of older horses, Sierra Leone elevated himself above the mob and made Brown’s decision easy. He’s the best.
“He’s starting to really prove his maturity and his special talents,” said Brown. “He’s always been consistent and he always shows up, but I’m just so proud that he was able to win such a prestigious race.”
It is, of course, not the only prestigious race Sierra Leone has won, having claimed the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last fall. That earned him an Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old male, and although he had a propensity to wander from a straight line in his younger days – but didn’t we all? – which may have made the difference in one or two high-profile defeats, he’s straight and true now.
The Coolmore partners, allied with Peter Brant, spent $2.3m to buy him as a yearling; it looked expensive at the time, but now it seems cheap.
The son of Gun Runner has won $6.8m and there is likely plenty more to come before he heads off to Ashford Stud, perhaps in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here on August 31 – another rare G1 missing from Brown’s honour roll – before another raid on Del Mar.
“I know he had a hard race but he’s only run three times this year, and one thing I’m not going to do is be afraid to run him,” added Brown (right). “I’m not scared to lose with the horse. My goal is to try to repeat in the Classic, and I think what’s best for that is one more race.”
Sovereignty and Journalism may be waiting in southern California, and several of those he beat last Saturday will circle back for another go at the pro tem leader of the older brigade, but Sierra Leone is firmly in contention to become only the second horse to win two BC Classics and follow the example of the mighty Tiznow almost a quarter of a century ago.
The Whitney has produced its fair share of outstanding winners. You can go all the way back to War Admiral and return on a scenic route through Kelso, Gun Bow, Carry Back, Dr Fager, Alydar, Slew o’ Gold, Personal Ensign, Easy Goer, Criminal Type, Gun Runner and Knicks Go.
Win a second Classic, and Sierra Leone will be worthy of mention alongside those all-time heroes, worthy of the epithet ‘great’. As far as Brown is concerned, though, he already is.
Horse of the moment
Three runs, three wins. Mythical must wonder what all the fuss is about because in those three starts she has never seen another horse after leaving the gate, always leading at every call, wiring her way up the ladder from maiden to stakes-race to Sunday’s G3 Adirondack.
The Jorge Delgado-trained juvenile filly was her usual efficient self against four rivals, breaking on top and improving her position all the way around the track, eventually drawing off to score by 3¼ lengths for jockey Emisael Jaramillo. She clocked a faster time than the colt Ewing in the previous day’s Saratoga Special.
“Before she won her first race, she breezed one day at Gulfstream and I knew she was special,” said Delgado. “I’ve been fortunate enough to train a few good horses in the past and she showed me right away, ‘I’m another one’.’
Next stop may be the G1 Spinaway here on August 30. Lead all the way in that and the ‘Myth’ will become a legend.
Jockey of the moment
If it’s not one of those pesky Ortiz kids it’s probably the other, and Jose Ortiz (right) enjoyed a bonanza week at the Spa – with a little help from his big brother Irad.
Ortiz the younger rode nine winners through the week, headlined by a Saturday treble that comprised G1 Test winner Kilwin, G2 Saratoga Special winner Ewing and allowance winner Hold My Bourbon. The G1 score naturally commanded the greater prestige, but there was something special about that Saratoga Special.
Jose had been named to ride Dazzle D’Oro and Irad was up on Ewing, but Dazzle D’Oro sustained a fatal injury during a workout. Jose was thus left without a ride, but in similar vein to the sentimental old song Two Little Boys, Irad stepped down to let his brother partner Ewing, a horse Jose had ridden to his maiden win.
“I appreciate Irad doing that – that was a classy move, he didn’t have to do that. I wasn’t going to ask for it,” Jose Ortiz told the Daily Racing Form.
Trainer of the moment
Who needs a Sovereignty when you have a world beater in the barn?
Riley Mott outdid his Hall of Fame father Bill when sending out World Beater to win the G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational, signing for the first Graded-stakes win of his three-year training career. His old man’s runner finished only seventh; Mott snr surely didn’t mind at all.
“Dad just said congrats and well done,” said Mott jnr, 33. “I grew up here. This is my childhood at Saratoga, this is my playground. The amount of times my Dad and I have walked down here to the winner’s circle together, I couldn’t count them all, so this was really special.”
World Beater went a little way towards justifying his splendid name by seeing off runners from Ireland and France to score by a half-length under Junior Alvarado, who stepped in when racecard rider Jaime Torres had travel problems.
“It’s Bill’s son, so I have been working with him for years. It was meant to be, I guess,” said Alvarado.
What they’re saying
“It was almost a month I didn’t win races. That’s the first time that happened in my career in 29 years. I never faced a challenge like that.”
A relieved Javier Castellano ended a losing streak stretching back to July 4 when riding Bring Theband Home to an impressive victory in the G2 Troy
“It’s not the way you want to win a race. I feel really bad for the connections of the winner, but I’m unbelievably proud of my horse.”
Trainer Charlie Fellowes, watching from home in England, as the stewards promoted his Luther to first place in the G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
“He makes us look good because he is top class.”
Miguel Clement gives all the credit to rising turf star Deterministic, who stretched his winning streak to three in the G1 Fourstardave
Horse to watch
No Kentucky Derby winner has subsequently made the move to turf since California Chrome won the 2014 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, but that will change after Mystik Dan hit the weeds on the Oklahoma training track at the Spa last week.
The hero of Churchill Downs in 2024 breezed five panels in 1:02 flat, his first-ever workout on the grass, and pleased trainer Kenny McPeek in the process.
“I always wanted to try him on the turf, and he looked like he loved it,” said McPeek. “I think he’ll relish the switch; it’s just a matter of finding the right spot at the right time.”
The right time looks like Saturday and the right spot is the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs, with the four-year-old – who has plenty of turf performers back in his pedigree – facing seven rivals in the $1m contest. If all goes well, one of the startlingly large purses at all-turf Kentucky Downs early next month will be under consideration for this surface-switching, history-making colt.
Forthcoming attractions
The pace slackens just a notch at the Spa this weekend, with the spotlight falling on the G1 Sword Dancer Invitational. This 12-furlong contest on the weeds features a transatlantic head-to-head, with the Godolphin pair Nations Pride and El Cordobes shipping in from Britain to take on last year’s winner Far Bridge, who bids to give trainer Miguel Clement another major prize and, incidentally, beat another Godolphin duo when successful 12 months ago. Clement has another major player in the supporting G2 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, with the ex-Brit Go Go Boots making her debut Stateside for celebrity chef owner Bobby Flay.
• Visit the NYRA Saratoga website
‘Everybody’s expectations are high’ – Sovereignty rules at Saratoga to enter world Top 5
• View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires