Brown saddles potent one-two punch for Wild Applause
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown has won seven turf stakes at the Belmont spring/summer meet and has run at least one-two in four of them.
In Sunday’s $100,000 Wild Applause Stakes, Brown could improve on one or both of those statistics when he sends out the uncoupled entry of Ava’s Kitten and Ancient Secret in the one-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Ava’s Kitten is returning to Belmont Park, where she won both of her starts as a 2-year-old. She is cutting back to one mile, the distance of her win in the Chelsey Flower here last fall and a good second to Catch a Glimpse in the Grade 3 Appalachian at Keeneland on April 14.
Following the Appalachian, Brown ran Ava’s Kitten back in three weeks in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs, where she finished fifth, 3 1/2 lengths behind Catch a Glimpse.
“I wheeled her back on short rest from her good effort at Keeneland, and it was a little far for her as well, and she just ran flat,” Brown said. “Since then, I let her catch her breath a little bit. I think getting her back to Belmont, where she’s already won a stake, and cutting her back a little bit hopefully will prove to get her back in form.”
Ava’s Kitten will break from post 9 of 10 under Javier Castellano.
Ancient Secret is a New York-bred daughter of Kantharos who is 2 for 2, with both wins coming at Belmont. She had six months between races due in large part to her not having many options.
“She’s very live in that race,” said Brown, who has Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride from post 4. “She trains like an open-company horse.”
Summer Reading and Welcoming finished a neck apart when second and third to Lightstream in the seven-furlong Soaring Softly Stakes here on May 21. Of the two, Welcoming may be better suited to the one-mile distance.
Tin Type Gal, the winner of the Miss Grillo Stakes last Sept. 27 at Belmont, makes her first start since then in this spot for trainer Graham Motion.
Wild Applause, Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Ava’s Kitten, by Kitten’s Joy
Last 3 Beyers: 85-86-75
◗ Seemed to be pulling a bit hard early and had little left in the final sixteenth when finishing fifth in the Edgewood. Back at Belmont, where she’s 2 for 2. Also, she is 2-1-0 from three starts at a mile or shorter.
◗ Has 44 days between starts, whereas last time she had 22 days.
Ancient Secret, by Kantharos
Last 2 Beyers: 79-65
◗ Has been visually impressive in beating New York-breds in her first two starts. Tries a mile and open company for the first time, both of which Brown believes she can handle.
◗ Has the services of Irad Ortiz Jr., who went 16 for 50 from June 9-16 at Belmont.
Welcoming, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 83-67-63
◗ Earned her career-best Beyer Speed Figure when trying turf for the first time when a late-running third in the Soaring Softly Stakes.
“I didn’t think she improved on dirt as much as I thought she would. We switched her to the turf, and I thought it was a good race,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “She finished very well that day.”
Summer Reading, by Hard Spun
Last 3 Beyers: 84-76-73
◗ Has faced the likes of the unbeaten Lightstream and Grade 1 winner Carina Mia in her last two starts. Could be the primary speed from the rail under Junior Alvarado.