Always Carina has Brown thinking big

ELMONT, N.Y. – Two years ago, Three Chimneys owned and Chad Brown trained Guarana, a spectacular 3-year-old filly who won the Grade 1 Acorn in just her second start and ultimately ended her career with five wins from six starts before being retired.

It would be high praise to compare any filly to Guarana, but here in 2021 Three Chimneys and Brown may have one to put in the conversation.

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Always Carina, a daughter of the recently deceased sire Malibu Moon, won a first-level allowance race by 9 3/4 lengths on Thursday at Belmont Park. That followed a four-length maiden win in the mud at Aqueduct in April.

In her allowance win, Always Carina covered a mile in 1:36.38 and earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. She did that after stumbling at the start and, according to Brown, losing a front shoe.

“She did that on three shoes,” Brown said Friday. “It goes to show you the raw talent she has to be able to do that.”

When a comparison to Guarana was mentioned to Brown, he didn’t shy away from it. Guarana had won her maiden by 14 3/4 lengths at Keeneland before beating Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Acorn six weeks later.

“She’s very much like her,” Brown said. “We thought that for a while, but that’s a big statement. For Guarana to win a Grade 1 in only her second start, I don’t think I’ve had any horse do that. I may never again, and most trainers wouldn’t in their whole career. Guarana was a worldly talent, but this filly here, I briefly thought about running in the Acorn.”

Brown believes this year’s Acorn is coming up salty with his own Search Results, the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks runner-up, the Grade 1 winner Dayoutoftheoffice, and Miss Brazil among those pointing to the June 5 race.

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Brown said that if all goes well Always Carina would be pointed to the Grade 2 Mother Goose here on June 26.

Search Results was scheduled to have her second work since the Oaks on Saturday at Belmont. Brown said he was pleased with how Search Results breezed last week, adding that her energy level has been good since the hard-fought Oaks defeat to Malathaat. Malathaat is being given more time to recover from the race and will point to the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 24.