Brown bringing two horses apiece for Million, Beverly D.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Chad Brown has trained one Arlington Million winner so far but will have two chances to take down his second Million when the race is contested for the 33rd time Aug. 15.

All along, Brown has been pointing Slumber for the race, and on Tuesday the New York-based trainer confirmed that he also will start Big Blue Kitten in the Million.

The two horses have traded decisions in their most recent starts. Slumber won the Grade 1 Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes card, a race in which Big Blue Kitten rallied for second. Big Blue Kitten won the Grade 1 United Nations on July 5, with Slumber a troubled, fast-finishing second.

Big Blue Kitten won the Sword Dancer Handicap at Saratoga in 2013, and the Aug. 29 Sword Dancer is itself a $1 million race this year, but Ken Ramsey, who owns Big Blue Kitten with his wife, Sarah, told Brown he wanted to run in the Million. The Ramseys and Brown won the race in 2013, when Real Solution was promoted to first via disqualification.

“Originally, I thought Big Blue Kitten would run at Saratoga, where he’s 3 for 3, but Mr. Ramsey wants to run in the Million, and the timing of the Million actually is good,” Brown said.

Had Big Blue Kitten been pointed to Saratoga, Brown would either have had to run him back on shorter rest than he preferred in the Aug. 1 Bowling Green Handicap or wait about two months from the United Nations for the Sword Dancer.

Big Blue Kitten was a Grade 1 grass horse in 2013 and 2014, but Slumber has just come forward this summer, though he long seemed to be on the cusp of breaking into the elite ranks. Purchased at auction last fall, Slumber was turned over to Brown, who fitted the 7-year-old horse with blinkers for the Manhattan and saw Slumber break through with a decisive victory before running back to that form in the United Nations. Regardless of who comes from Europe, both horses should have an excellent chance here Aug. 15.

No pace help for Stephanie’s Kitten in Beverly D.

Second in the 2014 Beverly D. Stakes, Stephanie’s Kitten will get another chance in the race this year despite finishing fifth last weekend in the Diana Stakes at Saratoga.

Brown said he plans to start two horses in the Grade 1, $700,000 Beverly D., with Watsdachances also shipping from New York to Chicago.

Stephanie’s Kitten finished second (to the Brown-trained Dayatthespa) in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and was an Eclipse Award finalist last year, but after winning her first start this year, the March 7 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs, she was a flat fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 New York on June 5 at Belmont before finishing fifth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths, as the 2-1 favorite in the July 25 Diana.

In both recent defeats, Stephanie’s Kitten raced with what was supposed to be the help of a rabbit, but her pacemaker, Kitten’s Queen, actually beat her in the New York and the Diana.

“It’s obvious the pacemaker just doesn’t work for her, and we won’t be doing that again,” said Brown, who indicated that the plan all along had been to move from the Diana to the Beverly D. “The turf being so firm in the Diana was not her ground, but in the end of the day, she just didn’t get it done. I’m going to draw a line through it and hope it rains over there for her and she runs her ‘A’ race again.”

The 5-year-old Watsdachances seeks her first Grade 1 victory while making her third start this year following a win in the Gallorette on the Preakness undercard and a close second last out in the Dance Smartly on July 5 at Woodbine.

“She’s been a pleasant surprise this year and is another one that would really appreciate some give in the ground,” Brown said.

Brown also has possible runners for the other two graded turf stakes on the Aug. 15 card: Money Multiplier for the Secretariat and Hyper for the American St. Leger.

◗ There’s not much of substance in the eight Arlington races Friday, with the highest-class fare race 7, a first-level turf-sprint allowance for fillies and mares. Puntsville, 4-1 on the morning-line, is the solid choice to win.