Brown seeks to cap career-best year in twin graded turf stakes

It’s been a phenomenal year for Chad Brown, one in which the upstate New York native likely will garner his first Eclipse Award nomination for outstanding trainer.

Brown will be looking to end the year on a high note Saturday when represented by major contenders in the last two graded turf stakes of the year on the East Coast. Brown will send out Clearbrook and Cay Dancer in the La Prevoyante Handicap at Gulfstream Park, then will come back an hour or so later with Slumber in the W.L. McKnight Handicap at the south Florida track.

The twin turf stakes are Grade 3, $100,000 races to be run around three turns at 1 1/2 miles.

Brown, the former Bobby Frankel assistant who started his own public stable in November 2007, entered the final week of racing for 2014 with stable earnings of more than $15.3 million, a career high. He also was on the verge of surpassing his career-high wins total of 148 for a calendar year.

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Cay Dancer, a 3-year-old facing older fillies and mares, figures as one of the La Prevoyante favorites when making her North American debut. Likewise, Slumber will be carrying the Brown flag for the first time in the McKnight after coming into his care following a close second as the favorite in an ungraded stakes at Belmont Park in October.

Brown is one of four trainers with entries in both turf stakes Saturday at Gulfstream, along with Mike Maker, Kiaran McLaughlin, and Graham Motion.

The La Prevoyante and McKnight are bookends of an all-graded-stakes pick three that closes out a 10-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern, with the McKnight the day’s finale at 4:57.

LA PREVOYANTE HANDICAP (RACE 8)

KEY CONTENDERS

Photo Call (Beyer: 91)

◗ One of three foreign-bred starters in here for Motion (with Julie’s Love and Auld Alliance), she couldn’t have run much better than she did in daylighting her stateside debut at Keeneland in October. She shows five steady workouts in the interim, the last two coming over the Palm Meadows turf.

◗ Motion, with 18 graded stakes wins, also has enjoyed a career-best year, with almost $10.5 million in purse earnings.

Cay Dancer (Beyer: N/A)

◗ A gray Irish-bred, she will be treated with Lasix for the first time when exiting a series of solid efforts in non-group races in England for Richard Hannon. Brown has worked her seven times, all at Palm Meadows, since the filly was imported here this fall.

Irish Mission (Last 3 Beyers: 91-91-95)

◗ Throw out her so-so showing at 18-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and this Ontario-bred mare looks like a viable contender, especially Beyer Speed Figure-wise, for the connections of Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, owner Shel Evans and trainer Christophe Clement.

W.L. MCKNIGHT HANDICAP (RACE 10)

KEY CONTENDERS

North Slope (Last 3 Beyers: 97-91-82)

◗ This Darley homebred really came around this fall, capturing back-to-back races over the Belmont turf, ending with the ungraded Bowl Game in October. The 1 1/2-mile distance poses an obvious question for him, especially off a 10-week layoff, but McLaughlin has had him working steadily at Palm Meadows for this.

Slumber (Last 3 Beyers: 97-99-97)

◗ Beaten just a neck by North Slope in the Bowl Game when still trained by Bill Mott, this 6-year-old horse resurfaces with Beyers that are superior to most of these others. Winless in his last six starts, it should be interesting to see whether he can snap that skein right away after being regrouped by Brown.

Divine Oath (Last 3 Beyers: 88-87-84)

◗ This 3-year-old colt ran some pretty decent races within his own division this year and now branches out for Todd Pletcher not only by facing older rivals but also when getting the added distance he seems to have been asking for.

Margano (Last 3 Beyers: 96-93-94)

◗ This 5-year-old full brother to the great Barbaro has become a pretty useful turf horse, and his competitive Beyers and grinding style suggest that this extra distance might not be outside his reach.