Brown hopeful Nabokov's story continues with Dwyer victory
ELMONT, N.Y. – Already flush with three Grade 1-winning 3-year-olds, trainer Chad Brown will look to see what he has with impressive maiden winner Nabokov when he faces winners for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes going a mile.
Nabokov, a son of Uncle Mo who sold for $775,000 as a yearling, finished second at Keeneland going 6 1/2 furlongs in April in his debut. He came back in May to win a 1 1/16-mile race by 3 1/4 lengths here on May 15.
In his debut, Brown said, Nabokov was forced to go from an inside post and got involved in pace duel.
In his second start, Nabokov “made a comfortable lead from a better post,” Brown said.
“This horse always looked like a true two-turn horse,” Brown said. “Down the road, getting up north, he’ll get a chance to go two turns, but first things first. We’ll try him back on a track that he ran so well on.”
Nabokov will face off against Charge It, the Florida Derby runner-up who finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby. He underwent a myectomy to repair a displaced palate after that race.
Also entered in the Dwyer were No Sabe Nada, a Mid-Atlantic shipper who has gone 3 for 6, Unbridled Bomber, Fluid Situation and Runninsonofagun.