Brown barn heating up on Aqueduct turf

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After a relatively quiet winter, trainer Chad Brown’s stable has heated up with the beginning of the spring meet and the opening of the turf at Aqueduct.

In three successive days, Brown sent out horses off extended layoffs to win over the Aqueduct turf.

On Wednesday, Ticonderoga, away since last October’s Hill Prince, won a first-level allowance race by a length. He ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.95, which is the fastest race at the distance run over the outer turf course, which only opened for business last fall. Ticonderoga earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

On Thursday, Okinawa, away 14 months, sped off to a front-running victory in a first-level allowance race. Her final time of 1:07.91 also established a course record for six furlongs over the outer turf.

Lastly, on Friday, Sweet Connie Girl won a maiden $40,000 claiming race in her first start since July 21.

As Brown still has horses in Florida and Kentucky, this is likely to be just the start of what figures to be another big year in New York for Brown, the leading trainer on this circuit the last three years and the two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner.