Brown’s 3-year-olds put in solid works

Risk Taking, the Grade 3 Withers winner, and Crowded Trade and Highly Motivated, the second- and third-place finishers from the Grade 3 Gotham, all put in workouts Sunday morning at Belmont Park as they prepare for their next starts in upcoming Kentucky Derby prep races.

Risk Taking, working toward the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 3, went five furlongs in 1:01.85, outfinishing his workmate Cousin Andrew by two lengths. Risk Taking, working in blinkers as usual, got his final quarter in 25.04 seconds.

“The workmate couldn’t hang in there as well as I thought he would but [Risk Taking] did what I wanted him to do time-wise, and he looks like he’s in good shape,” trainer Chad Brown said.

Crowded Trade, who stepped up from a maiden victory to run second, beaten a nose by Weyburn, in the Grade 3 Gotham, worked a strong half-mile in 48.01 seconds in company with Highly Motivated. Brown said by running in the Wood, it gives Crowded Trade the best chance to prove himself worthy of running in the Kentucky Derby.

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“If I was going to do something different it would really be taking him off the Derby trail,” Brown said. “With points there, it’s time to try.”

Brown said Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Risk Taking while Eric Cancel will be aboard Crowded Trade. Cancel had ridden both horses in their most recent starts.

Highly Motivated is pointing to the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 3. He won the Nyquist Stakes at Keeneland last November.

Highly Motivated finished third in the Gotham with a troubled trip. Brown said he was pleased enough with the performance and noted that both Practical Joke and Good Magic were beaten in their 3-year-old debuts before going on to run well in the Derby. Practical Joke finished fifth in the Derby while Good Magic won the Blue Grass, then finished second to Justify in the Derby.

“I’m proud that he gathered himself up and finished real well and got a lot out of it,” Brown said. “That first work back today was very good. I think I’m where I want to be now.”

Brown said Excellent Timing, dominant winner of the Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-breds, will be considered for either the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 10 or the Pat Day Mile on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1.

Search Results, the Busher winner, and The Grass Is Blue, the Busanda winner, also worked Sunday at Belmont. Search Results, in company with Subsidize, went four furlongs in 49.16 seconds while The Grass Is Blue went a half-mile in 49.84 seconds by herself. Both are pointing to the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes on the April 3 card.