The ups and downs of training a large stable can be daunting. Just as everything is falling in to place for one horse, another comes down with sickness or injury. These are the issues trainer Brian Brown has experienced over the previous months as he prepares his stable for battle on the Sire Stakes and Grand Circuits. His recent highs include undefeated 3-year-old pacing colt contender Done Well and 2017 Breeders Crown winner Blazin Britches. The lows involve a pair of sophomore pacing colts - Venom and Always Bet De Grey - which were aiming high but need to take a step back now and regroup. After a setback in early spring, Done Well finally made his 3-year-old debut on May 28 at The Downs at Pocono. The son of Well Said showed early speed before waiting patiently in the pocket and finishing with a 26 4/5 final quarter to win in 1:51 2/5 with Tim Tetrick in tow. “It was a relief to get through the first qualifier, the second qualifier, and last night he checked out great after the race,” said Brown. “That race, the way the trip worked out was a perfect first start. I wish I had one more week where I could get one more race in him before going to Canada, just to tighten him up a little bit. But it just won’t work out. “It’s an elimination, so it isn’t like you have to win it, but it would be nice so you can guarantee your post position,” said Brown on the June 9 North America Cup eliminations at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Blazin Britches, last year’s Dan Patch winner for 3-year-old pacing fillies, makes her return to the pari-mutuel wars on Saturday night at Hoosier Park in an Preferred race against older mares for the first time. “She trained great today (May 29),” said Brown. “I think she has come back stronger. She was a pretty big filly last year, but boy is she ever thick this year.” Brown added that as long as Blazin Britches comes out of the race on Saturday in good order, she’ll be entered in the Roses Are Red eliminations on June 9 at Mohawk. Everything was going great for Venom leading up to Monday’s (May 28) New York Sire Stakes race at Vernon Downs. The son of Rock N Roll Heaven had won three straight and was on the road to the North America Cup before he challenged uncovered in a fast 53 3/5 half and stopped badly, finishing his final quarter in a sluggish 33 1/5. “I thought for sure he flipped his heart, but he checked out fine. That doesn’t mean he didn’t do it during the race and flipped back before he came back to the paddock. The vet worked on him for two or three hours giving him fluids and taking his temperature, his temperature was elevated after the race. Now everything checks out fine. The horse came around. He ate great last night and this morning. Everything checked out ok. He could’ve been sick, he scoped really bad, but as much distress as he was under, they said he could’ve been aspirating in the race, with his own fluids going down his lungs. It was very scary,” said Brown, who added that Venom will get an easy week before racing again. “I’m sure the North America Cup is out at this point, but he is a very nice horse,” said Brown. “I don’t know if he is the caliber of Fear The Dragon or Downbytheseaside, but until the other day that horse hadn’t disappointed us yet.” Another disappointment came with Always Bet De Grey in early May. After a strong 1:51 2/5 qualifying win at Hoosier on what Brown called a windy day, everything was looking perfect before the team discovered an 8% tear in a tendon following a training session a week later. “He’s at Kesmarc in Lexington,” said Brown. “They are working on him. We’ll know more after they ultrasound it on Friday. While planning for Done Well and Blazin Britches to tackles Grand Circuit foes, Brown will be a busy man on Saturday night (June 2) at Northfield Park when he sends out a six-pack of 3-year-old pacing fillies in three $40,000 divisions of the Ohio Sire Stakes on the undercard for the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie for older pacers. Amazingly, the undefeated-in-2018 Queen Me Again is not the top filly in his arsenal. “She’s a nice filly but I don’t think she is my best,” said Brown, who pointed to fellow Emerald Highlands Farm-owned stablemate Mcpansy or the Big Bad John-sired Prsntpretynperfect as perhaps the leading ladies from his Ohio-bred squad. Despite appearing to have a group of aces on paper, Brown is far from cocky going into the second leg of the Sire Stakes. “I’m a little worried,” said Brown. “Prsntpretynperfect was great the other day and Smiley Dragon was good. Queen Me Again didn’t get to go because she tied-up earlier that week but trained great today, and Mcpansy and Mcvenus both have a little tying-up issue, but if all that is working right, I should be in good shape. “I drew a lot better this week than I did at Miami Valley. Some of them drew great and some just average, but at Northfield post position is everything up there.” The three Ohio Sire Stakes races are 7, 10 and 12 of the 16 races offered at Northfield on Saturday. The Battle of Lake Erie, led by 3-5 morning line choice Rockin Ron, is race 11. Post time is 6:00 p.m.