Brown shed row heavy with stakes horses

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A contingent of 28 Chad Brown horses was scheduled to arrive Wednesday at Keeneland, well in time for the three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer’s annual fall meet assault.

Nearly half of those horses are intended for stakes, starting Saturday with Valid Point and Emaraaty in the Shadwell Turf Mile, and Rushing Fall and Uni in the First Lady. His first starter of the meet will be Looking at Bikinis, who figures as a solid favorite when he drops in class in the second race Friday, a seven-furlong allowance restricted to 3-year-olds that have not won a graded stakes this year.

“I like that he drew the outside post,” Brown said this week from his New York base. “We’re looking to get back on track with him.”

His other stakes plans: Dunbar Road in the Spinster; Indochine in the Jessamine; Cafe Americano, Cambier Parc, and Regal Glory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup; Focus Group in the Sycamore; and Blowout, Catch a Bid, and Turf War in the Valley View.

Brown owns 27 Keeneland stakes victories, starting with Silver Timber’s win in the Woodford on Oct. 10, 2009. He said he’s unlikely to be here this weekend, owing to a trip to the upcoming Tattersalls sale in England, but he does plan to be here next weekend for the QE II.