Brown leans to Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile for Complexity

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown said he would more likely choose the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile over the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Complexity, the 2 1/4-length victor of Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso Handicap.

Brown said he is not concerned about running Complexity two turns in the Dirt Mile, which will be held Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The only previous time Complexity raced around two turns was in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, in which he finished 10th. Brown noted that Complexity came out of the race with sore shins.

“The way he rated yesterday he sure looked like he won’t have a problem running a mile one or two turns,” Brown said Sunday. “He’s got a high cruising speed, he can sit or he can be on the lead going quick and still finish. He’s on top of his game right now.”

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In the Kelso, Complexity sat off the surprise pacesetter Endorsed early on, then held Code of Honor at bay in the stretch. Complexity earned a career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure for the Kelso.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said he was pleased with Code of Honor’s performance in the Kelso, his first start since he ran fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 1 at Saratoga.

“We gave him five pounds, he had the pace scenario in his favor, the other two stopped and we had to do the chasing so I thought it was fine,” McGaughey said.

McGaughey said “I got no idea” where he would look to run Code of Honor next.