Brown has presence all through Derby Day card
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Chad Brown will have plenty to keep him busy Saturday before he runs Good Magic in the $2 million Kentucky Derby.
Brown will have runners in as many as five of the six undercard stakes on the 14-horse program, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. His lineup could include Rushing Fall, the undefeated 3-year-old filly whom he entered back in the Grade 2, $300,000 American Turf for 3-year-olds after she drew post 11 in Friday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Edgewood for 3-year-old fillies.
Rushing Fall didn’t fare any better at the post draw for the American Turf, getting post 12 in a full field of 14 plus two also-eligibles.
Hours before the American Turf was drawn, Brown said: “I want to take a look, see what kind of post we draw, look at the field. I know she handles soft, but I want to see what kind of weather we have.”
Rain is in the forecast for Friday. Brown will have a few days to figure out in which race he wants to run Rushing Fall.
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Among the male contenders in the American Turf are Untamed Domain, runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and River Boyne and Inscom, the 1-2 finishers in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita.
Brown will have the uncoupled entry of Beach Patrol and Kurilov in the Grade 1, $500,000 Old Forester Turf Classic, the race directly preceding the Kentucky Derby.
Beach Patrol, who drew the outside in the 10-horse field, was second in this race last year, and went on to win the Arlington Million and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic - both Grade 1’s - before finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
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Kurilov, a Group 1 winner in Chile, is coming off a neck loss to Heart to Heart in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf.
Aidan O’Brien, who has Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby, brought in Deauville, third to Beach Patrol in last year’s Arlington Million, for the Turf Classic.
Brown won last year’s Grade 1 Humana Distaff with Paulassilverlining. He will seek a second straight Humana Distaff victory with Lewis Bay, a multiple Grade 3 stakes winner who was third in last year’s Kentucky Oaks.
“She’s knocked on the door in a couple of Grade 1’s,” he said “Hopefully there’s one with her name on it.”
Lewis Bay finished third in a four-horse photo in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland, which was won by Finley’sluckycharm with American Gal in fourth. Finley’sluckycharm and American Gal drew the rail and post 8, respectively, in the Humana Distaff.
Brown will send out the unbeaten Mask in the Grade 3, $300,000 Pat Day Mile for 3-year-olds. Mask is 2 for 2 but has not run since winning the Mucho Macho Man Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park in January.
The full field of 14 in the Pat Day Mile includes Grade 1 Hopeful winner Sporting Chance, Springboard Mile winner Greyvitos, Bay Shore winner National Flag, and Wood Memorial third-place finisher Restoring Hope.
Dream Awhile, winner of the Tropical Park Oaks and runner-up in the Suwannee River, will represent Brown in the Grade 2, $300,000 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile. That 11-horse field drew La Coronel and Dream Dancing, who ran 1-2 in the Edgewood here last year on Oaks Day.
Brown will not have a starter in the Grade 2, $500,000 Churchill Downs Sprint, which drew a solid 10-horse field that includes Limousine Liberal and Awesome Slew, who ran 1-2 in this race last year. Also entered was Imperial Hint, who has won six of his last seven starts, with his lone loss a second-place finish to Roy H in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Warrior’s Club, who defeated Limousine Liberal by a neck in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland last month, and Whitmore, 2 for 2 in sprint stakes at Oaklawn Park this year, are both part of this field.
Three graduates of the 2017 Kentucky Derby are scheduled to race in Saturday allowance races. Lookin at Lee and Sonneteer, second and 16th, respectively, in the Derby, are entered in a second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles.
McCraken, eighth as the 6-1 fourth choice in the 2017 Derby, makes his 4-year-old debut in a one-mile allowance.