Brown pleased with pair of Breeders' Cup wins

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After winning three Breeders’ Cup races in 2014, trainer Chad Brown returned to the 2015 Breeders’ Cup with the most runners of any trainer and walked away with two more victories in the sport’s premier year-end event.

After a disappointing Friday, Brown won two Breeders’ Cup races Saturday, taking the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf with Stephanie’s Kitten one race after capturing the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint with Wavell Avenue. Among his other horses, Big Blue Kitten and Slumber finished third and fourth, respectively, behind Found and Golden Horn in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“When you have terrific clients, terrific staff, and that sort of material to work with, your goals are to get to the big days, your goal is to get here, and I think most of them ran really well,” Brown, who now has won seven Breeders’ Cup races in his career, said Sunday morning at Keeneland. “I’m pleased overall with the Breeders’ Cup, even some of the ones that were defeated. Big Blue Kitten and Slumber ran their hearts out against two great horses from Europe.”

Brown was particularly happy for Stephanie’s Kitten, who finished second in this race last year to Dayatthespa, also trained by Brown. Owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey had moved the horse from Wayne Catalano – for whom the filly won the Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2011 – to Brown at the beginning of 2014.

“I think that was just a wonderful feeling, a culmination point of relief that the Ramseys trusted me and my staff with this filly to do something like this,” Brown said. “Yes, we had won the Flower Bowl a couple of times, but really, she was sent to our barn to try and win this specific race – the Filly and Mare Turf – and possibly an Eclipse Award, and I feel like his trust in me and my staff was justified, and he was rewarded for his patience as well.”

Despite her Grade 1 victories in the Flower Bowl and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Stephanie’s Kitten is unlikely to win an Eclipse Award. The champion female turf horse likely will be Tepin, who defeated boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and who has three Grade 1 wins overall on her resume.

“It’s unfortunate because Stephanie’s Kitten has had such a great career,” said Brown. “I think she’s a horse that deserves an Eclipse Award when it’s all said and done, but Tepin also had a great year, so I can understand people who would lean that way.”

Stephanie’s Kitten was catalogued to be sold Sunday at Fasig-Tipton.

Watsdachances finished sixth in the Filly and Mare Turf. Dacita, who finished ninth in the Filly and Mare Turf, was scheduled to ship to Florida and point for a 2016 campaign, said Brown. Brown feared Dacita would not be effective on soft ground, and he was right.

Wavell Avenue came a long way in a short period of time, and a terrific fall culminated in a 1 3/4-length victory over La Verdad in the Filly and Mare Sprint. It was her fourth win from nine starts this year but her first in a graded stakes.

Brown said Wavell Avenue, a 4-year-old daughter of Harlington owned by a group headed by Michael Dubb, was headed back to New York on Sunday. He’s not sure whether Wavell Avenue would run again this year or not, but she will race in 2016.

Despite finishing third in the Turf, Big Blue Kitten could win an Eclipse Award as champion turf male. He has Grade 1 wins in the United Nations and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and runner-up finishes in the Arlington Million and Manhattan, also Grade 1 races.

Brown said Calumet Farm takes over ownership of Big Blue Kitten on Sunday from the Ramseys, and Brown was to meet with Calumet management to discuss the 7-year-old’s future, which could be retirement.

Brown said Slumber, owned by Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Sheep Pond Partners, was headed to Florida with a 2016 campaign in mind.

Brown said Bobby’s Kitten, fourth in the Turf Sprint – a race he won last year – also is likely to race again in 2016, as well as his 2-year-old turf horses, who did not fare well Friday. Ray’s the Bar and Camelot Kitten finished 11th and 12th, respectively, in the Juvenile Turf, while Pricedtoperfection and Last Waltz finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.