Brown has Patternrecognition, Timeline for Cigar Mile

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown will have runners in three of the four graded stakes scheduled at Aqueduct on Saturday. They will be led by Patternrecognition and Timeline in the $750,000 Cigar Mile, the last Grade 1 stakes on the New York Racing Association circuit in 2018.

Patternrecognition and Timeline are two of what could be 11 horses in the Cigar field, which is expected to include the globetrotting 3-year-old Mendelssohn.

Patternrecognition will enter the Cigar off a victory in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont on Sept. 22. Brown felt Patternrecognition would benefit from more time between races, which is why Brown didn’t run him in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill on Nov. 3.

“He’s a horse that runs well fresh, with proper rest,” Brown said. “The horse seems to be coming into the Cigar in good shape.”

On Sunday at Belmont, Park, Patternrecognition worked a half-mile in 50.11 seconds, going in quarter splits of 25.22 seconds and 24.89.

Jose Ortiz will ride Patternrecognition.

Timeline, third in the Kelso and winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan as a 3-year-old, worked a half-mile in 49.93 seconds, going his final quarter in 24.93 seconds. John Velazquez will ride Timeline for the first time. Javier Castellano, Timeline’s regular rider, is committed to Copper Town for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Brown is also planning to run Network Effect in the Grade 2 Remsen and Your Love and Pacific Wind in the Grade 3 Go for Wand.

Mendelssohn will make his sixth transatlantic trip from Ireland for the Cigar. In his previous trips, he finished last in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Dwyer, second in the Travers and third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Most recently, he finished fifth, four lengths behind winner Accelerate, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Others expected in the Cigar include Name Changer, No Dozing, Pat on the Back, Stan the Man, Sunny Ridge, and True Timber. Promises Fulfilled is possible.