Brown, Castellano partner for sweep of New York-bred turf stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown and jockey Javier Castellano combined to sweep the two turf stakes for New York-breds Saturday at Belmont Park.

In the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes for males, Castellano guided the Brown-trained Offering Plan to a dominant six-length victory.

An hour later, in the $200,000 Ticonderoga Stakes for females, Fifty Five rallied past La Moneda in the stretch to beat that filly by one length.

The two wins sandwiched Castellano’s victory aboard Runaway Lute in the $150,000 Hudson Handicap, which gave the Hall of Fame jockey his 5,000th career victory.

Offering Plan added the Mohawk to an early-season victory in the Kingston Stakes here. In his last two starts, he was second to Kharafa in the West Point at Saratoga in August and second to Black Tide in the Ashley T. Cole last out. He soundly defeated those opponents on Saturday.

Offering Plan often had been a victim of pace. A horse that typically lingers in the back of the pack early, Offering Plan has simply run out of ground in his losses.

Saturday, he broke better and though he was 7 1/2 lengths behind after the opening half-mile, he was moving well and in the clear under Castellano. Meanwhile, Black Tide, who usually sets the pace in these New York-bred races, broke poorly and was chasing Mo Maverick early through a half-mile in 46.36.

Castellano had Offering Plan advance to the leaders around the turn, and he took the lead turning for home and was never threatened. Rapt finished second, 7 1/4 lengths clear of Red Knight in third. Pacesetter Mo Maverick was fourth and was followed by Hobo, Kharafa, Tapitation, and Black Tide.

Offering Plan, a 6-year-old son of Spring At Last owned by Michael Dubb, Nantucket Thoroughbred Partners, Bethlehem Stables and Gary Aisquith, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.01 and returned $4.70 as the favorite.

“He broke a lot better today and at least was in a good position early, for him,” Brown said. “Still, you could see Javier really riding the horse just to maintain interest because he just lacks interest that first half of the race. Javier stayed busy on him and halfway through the race he grabbed the bit and started taking him somewhere. From there the horse just really finished strong, I’m proud of him.”

Offering Plan has now won 8 of 23 starts and earned $758,423. Brown said he is inclined to give Offering Plan the remainder of the year off and point him to a 7-year-old campaign.

Fifty Five won the Ticonderoga for the second consecutive year, confirming her affinity for the Belmont turf course. She also won the John Hettinger last month by two lengths and is now 4 for 8 over these courses.

“She’s bigger, stronger this year, she’s done really well outside of Saratoga; she doesn’t really care for that turf course is what we’ve found,” Brown said. “Outside of that, she’s really run well this year.”

In the Ticonderoga, Fifty Five ran down La Moneda, a filly who had won four consecutive races including a neck victory over Fifty Five in the Yaddo Stakes at Saratoga.

“That’s a really good filly she ran down, they’re two of the better New York-bred turf mares around,” Brown said.

Tom Morley, the trainer of La Moneda, believes his filly was beaten by the soft turf course.

“Junior [Alvarado] said we were beaten by the ground,” Morley said. “He said we weren’t going like we do when we’re running over firm ground.”

Fifty Five, a daughter of Get Stormy owned by Peter Brant, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.21 and returned $3.60.

La Moneda finished second by two lengths over Conquest Hardcandy. She was followed by Lady Joan, Munchkin Money, War Canoe, and Lovely La La.