Brown takes two shots at winning first Fourstardave Handicap
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While it seems trainer Chad Brown has won just about every notable turf stakes at Saratoga at least once, one that has eluded him is the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going a mile on turf. He should finally be able to erase that hiccup on his prodigious résumé Saturday when he sends out Regal Glory and Masen against just three rivals in the Grade 1 fixture named for the legendary New York-bred who won at least one race at Saratoga for eight consecutive seasons.
“It would be a wonderful race to win,” Brown said. “It’s surprisingly one we haven’t won and it’s become a challenge now. Growing up around here, in that Fourstardave era when that horse was running was in the time frame when I was really in the picnic area watching horses.
“His record is remarkable. I would love to win this race here.”
Regal Glory and Masen give Brown a very potent one-two punch. Regal Glory is a 6-year-old mare in the best form of her career and comes off two straight Grade 1 wins. Masen is a nose shy of being undefeated since coming to the United States and joining Brown’s stable earlier this season.
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Regal Glory, who is perfect in three starts at Saratoga, began her 2022 campaign rallying from near the rear of the field to capture the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park. Brown thought that might well be the last race of her career. But owner Peter Brant decided to keep her in training for the remainder of the year, a choice that has already paid big dividends with her victories in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April and Grade 1 Just a Game on June 11 at Belmont.
“The timing between this race and the Just a Game was good for her, as was running her a mile distance,” Brown said. “Running her against colts is a tall order, but she gets some weight consideration there, too, and she’s shown she can handle Saratoga just fine. So all those factors go into it.”
Brown admitted Regal Glory has exceeded his expectations as she’s gotten older.
“She’s definitely reached heights I never thought she could reach when she was younger,” Brown said. “I always liked her, but she’s turned into a really great filly and moving up the list of the great fillies we’ve had.”
Regal Glory will carry 119 pounds with the weight concession she receives running against males in the Fourstardave, with regular rider Jose Ortiz aboard. She is seeking to become the second filly or mare to win the event. Got Stormy captured this race in 2019 and came back to do it again last summer.
Masen, who raced in Ireland in 2020 and 2021, was beaten a nose making his U.S debut in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in April. He bounced back off that heartbreaking setback to win a pair of stakes, including the Grade 3 Poker on June 18 at Belmont. He will carry high weight of 123 pounds in the Fourstardave, including jockey Flavien Prat.
“We’ve been pointing to this race for a while after the Maker’s Mark, really targeted it working backwards from this race, and he’s coming into it well,” Brown said. “I didn’t like waiting too long between races with this horse after he won the first time, so I squeezed another race in there, the Poker, and he handled it okay. It wasn’t his best performance, but he seems to have really come forward, and I think we have him in pretty good shape for Saturday.”
Standing in Brown’s path of winning his first Fourstardave are the trio of Casa Creed, Front Run the Fed, and Get Smokin, who is the likely pacesetter coming off a fourth-place finish going a mile in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple here four weeks earlier.
Casa Creed may be more effective at one turn than two, but did finish third, beaten just two lengths by Got Stormy, in the 2021 Fourstardave. He is coming off one of the top performances of his career, rallying to a half-length decision over Arrest Me Red in the Grade 1 Jaipur going six furlongs on turf at Belmont. Casa Creed is trained by Bill Mott, who has won the Fourstardave a record four times, most recently with Tourist in 2016.
Front Run the Fed stretches back to a mile after winning a 5 1/2-furlong stakes at Colonial Downs returning from an eight-month layoff on July 18. He already owns a victory going a mile over the local strip, having rallied from last to win the restricted Better Talk Now Stakes for Brown during the summer of 2019.