Brown fillies run one-two in Chelsea Flower to complete stakes sweep

ELMONT, N.Y. - Chad Brown swept the exacta in the $100,000 Chelsea Flower Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday with Ken and Sarah Ramsey's filly Ava's Kitten and Martin Schwartz's filly Llanita.

Earlier in the day, Brown won the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler at Belmont with Matrooh.

Aaron Gryder, a former regular in New York, rode Ava's Kitten in the Chelsea Flower, a one-mile turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies. With a number of local riders at the Breeders' Cup, Gryder has been riding at Belmont since Friday. Prior to this weekend, Gryder had not ridden in New York since June 7, 2013, when he won the Grade 2 Brooklyn on Calidoscopio.

Chinchilla Dust and Wedding Dress set the early pace in the Chelsea Flower, with Ava's Kitten tracking them in third. She moved up to challenge three wide, drew clear in upper stretch, and then held her stablemate off to win by a half-length.

Llanita saved ground early, tipped to the outside in upper stretch, and finished well to be second best.

It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Enjoy Yourself, who was floated inward at the start, came widest into the stretch, and finished well to nip Width for third. Width, well back early, finished willingly but was nipped by a nose for third.

Ava's Kitten was timed in 1:37.36 over a course rated “good.” The fractions were 24.60 seconds, 49.08, and 1:13.00. Ava's Kitten paid $7.50 as the second choice in the 11-horse field. The $2 exacta with 2-1 favorite Llanita paid $29.60.

Belvoir Bay, who finished ninth, was steadied in traffic soon after the start.