Brown ready for turf or dirt in Gulfstream allowance feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.– Upgrade has been a model of consistency as well as a source of frustration for trainer Chad Brown since beginning his 3-year-old campaign here at Gulfstream Park last spring. Upgrade will attempt to make up for his performance as the beaten favorite here three weeks ago when he heads a well-matched field of older, first-level allowance horses in Wednesday’s $51,500 feature at one mile on turf.

Upgrade finished second, beaten two lengths by a loose-on the-lead Doctor Peach, when bet to 8-5 going 1 1/16 miles under similar allowance conditions on Jan. 5.

“I was happy with his last race,” said Brown. “He’s a consistent horse but he has a tendency to hang a little bit and sometimes if he lays a little too close, he just won’t go by horses. I thought the jock rode him perfectly last time but he did the same thing again. Maybe the shorter race and a little quicker pace will put him a couple of lengths further back this time. That might help. And if it rains Monday or Tuesday, a little cut in the turf won’t hurt either.”

Brown has all his bases covered in case rain should force the feature off the turf as he also has Day of Destiny entered for main track only.

Like Upgrade, Storm On the Moon has also had a touch of seconditis of late. He has been the runner-up in three of his last four starts, including his only two tries on turf to close out his 3-year-old campaign last fall in New York. He paired up career-best Beyer Speed Figures of 88 in both those starts for trainer Barclay Tagg. Storm On the Moon will be stretching out beyond seven furlongs for the first time on Wednesday.

The stakes-placed Devon Rock has been freshened since finishing fifth as the tepid favorite in a key race at Belmont on Sept. 25 that produced a trio off next-out winners. Devon Rock, a son of Rock Hard Ten, finished third in Monmouth Park’s Choice Stakes early last summer.

Capital Market will try to bounce back from his disappointing 3-year-old finale at Calder when he finished fourth after being forced to steady on the far turn of an optional claiming race. Capital Market flashed marked improvement once switched to the grass by trainer Tom Albertrani last summer, winning his maiden impressively over the Belmont Park turf course in September.