Belmont: Pilgrim could produce two Breeders' Cup starters for Brown

[bc_video_id:306367:]ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, trainer Chad Brown finished second and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf with Noble Tune and Balance the Books, respectively.

Brown hopes to take two more contenders to this year’s $1 million Juvenile Turf in Bobby’s Kitten and Shadow Banking, who head a nine-horse field entered in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park. The Pilgrim shares the card with the Grade 3, $200,000 Miss Grillo for 2-year-old fillies, a prep for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf. Both races, run at 1 1/16 miles, offer fees-paid berths into their respective Breeders’ Cup races, to be run Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

Noble Tune won a maiden race on closing day at Saratoga before winning the Pilgrim. Brown wanted to follow a similar path with Shadow Banking, but rain forced his closing-day race at Saratoga to the dirt. Instead, Shadow Banking ran on Sept. 11, winning his debut by 6 1/4 lengths at Belmont, making an eye-catching move around the turn.

“It’s tighter than I usually run my horses back, however, when you’re talking Breeders’ Cup, we have to go with that schedule,” said Brown, who trains Shadow Banking for Seth Klarman and William Lawrence. “We really like the horse. We couldn’t guarantee that he was going to win that day, but he was sitting on a race like that.”

Bobby’s Kitten had a wide trip early and some traffic late when rallying from last to finish third in his debut on July 27. He came back a month later to win a maiden race on the front end, an effort in which he was a bit headstrong early but still won by nearly three lengths.

Brown said he instructed jockey Jose Ortiz to warm up Bobby’s Kitten “quite a bit before the race” because he was acting quiet in the paddock.

“What we learned about the horse is that’s just him, he’s on or he’s off temperament-wise,” Brown said. “He was very keen early in the race. That just goes to show you how talented that horse is. He’s got those kind of fractions anytime you want to use them. He’s been training extraordinarily well going into the race.”

The main threat to Brown’s pair is Due Diligence, a horse Brown formerly trained. A son of War Front, Due Diligence won his debut at 5 1/2 furlongs for Brown and Klarman and Lawrence by 7 1/2 lengths on Aug. 12. He was purchased privately by the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, John Magnier, and Derrick Smith and turned over to Todd Pletcher.

Due Diligence missed the Summer Stakes at Woodbine due to a temperature. Following a Sept. 23 workout over the Oklahoma turf, course Due Diligence dumped his rider and crashed through a rail, necessitating the horse get stitches. Due Diligence was able to come back and work a half-mile last Monday on the dirt.

“We were lucky to avoid a major injury,” Pletcher said. “He needed more than a couple of stitches. All that has healed up really well. He essentially missed only one day of training and came back with a nice breeze. We dodged a bullet.”

Marvin’s Miracle, third in the Grade 2 With Anticipation at Saratoga; Captain’s Affair, Sheldon, Sandy Point, Blue Pigeon, and Otoy complete the field.