Brown eyeing new strategy for Newspaperofrecord

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown said he will try to change tactics with Newspaperofrecord in hopes of getting her to the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks on July 6.

Newspaperofrecord, the dominant 2-year-old turf filly of 2018, lost for the second straight race on Thursday in the Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park. Newspaperofrecord opened a large lead while headstrong only to give way to stablemate Cambier Parc, who beat her by 1 1/4 lengths. Newspaperofrecord had lost the Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs after sprinting clear to an early lead and getting beat by Concrete Rose.

“I feel if we’re going to go on to the next race and try her in the Belmont Oaks, and try her one more time to keep stretching her out, I feel we need to change our strategy,” Brown said Friday morning at Belmont Park. “In a bigger field of horses, my plan right now would be to take her back a little bit, giving her some cover, and see if we can stretch her out from behind horses.”

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Brown said Newspaperofrecord is “pretty settled” in her morning works, “but when you leave the starting gate in a paceless, long-distance race it’s not so easy to harness her speed,” he said.

Brown said he thought Irad Ortiz Jr. did as good a job as he could Thursday trying to control Newspaperofrecord.

“As long as she’s healthy and doing well my plan is to run her in the race and implement that race strategy,” Brown said.

Obviously, Cambier Parc, also trained by Brown, is headed to the Oaks following the Wonder Again victory, for which she earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Cambier Parc is 3 for 5 with two stakes wins.

“We always felt she would eventually be effective at a mile and a quarter,” Brown said. “I’m not surprised she showed her best stuff at a mile and an eighth and I think she’ll run farther.”

Brown unveiled another 3-year-old turf filly on Thursday as Catch a Bid, a daughter of Real Solution, won her debut by 4 1/2 lengths, running a mile in 1:33.33. Brown said she is not a candidate for the Belmont Oaks, but she could be considered for the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George at Saratoga on July 19.

Brown also won Thursday’s Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes with Significant Form, who split horses late to win by a half-length over Fire Key. Significant Form ran seven furlongs in 1:19.33 and earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

Brown said he had no immediate plans for Significant Form, saying only that he wouldn’t run her beyond one mile this year.