Brown decides Breeders' Cup Mile best spot for Digital Age

ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, trainer Chad Brown grappled with the decision to run Bricks and Mortar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf or Mile. He eventually chose the Turf and was rewarded when Bricks and Mortar captured that race to complete a perfect season and win Horse of the Year honors.

He has a similar decision to make with Digital Age, recent winner of the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

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This time, Brown has opted for the shorter race and will train Digital Age up to the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“He’s a tweener with distances,” Brown said. “If I was going to choose, I’d go shorter with him than longer. Last year, Bricks had more range to him, and I was kind of waffling back and forth for about a month or so. This horse, it’s a little clearer between the two options to go shorter.”

Digital Age has won 5 of 11 starts, with the wins coming at a mile to 1 1/8 miles. Last year, in New York’s trio of marathon turf races for 3-year-olds, his best finish was a second place in the Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles.