Brown will run Crowded Trade in Preakness, and possibly Risk Taking

ELMONT, N.Y. - While trainer Chad Brown is definitely planning to run Crowded Trade in the Preakness Stakes, he hasn’t ruled out also running Risk Taking in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Brown said he entered Risk Taking in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes but he could change his mind before race day and elect to add him to his Preakness lineup. Risk Taking won the Grade 3 Withers in February but was a disappointing seventh as the favorite in the Wood Memorial.

Brown won the Preakness in 2017 with Cloud Computing whose three races prior - a maiden win, a third in the Gotham, and a second in the Wood - are exactly the same as Crowded Trade’s past performances.

“The one difference is I was more confident in the distance for Cloud Computing than I am with Crowded Trade,” Brown said. “Risk Taking is definitely a mile and three-sixteenths, mile and a quarter horse when he fires. He didn’t fire last time.”

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Brown said Javier Castellano will ride Crowded Trade. He has Irad Ortiz Jr. named on Risk Taking for the Peter Pan, but does not have a commitment from him in the Preakness.

Meanwhile, Brown said Highly Motivated, 10th in the Kentucky Derby, will be freshened and pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes on July 5.