Brown's big names shine in turf works

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown had quite the star-studded lineup out for turf workouts Sunday morning at Belmont Park, a dynamic dozen that included first works back from recent races for Grade 1 winners Newspaperofrecord, Bricks and Mortar, and Raging Bull.

The first pair had Newspaperofrecord, in her first work since suffering her first defeat in the Edgewood Stakes on May 2 at Churchill Downs, breezing a half-mile in company with the 2018 female turf champion Sistercharlie. Newspaperofrecord started just off the flank of Sistercharlie and finished a short head in front of her at the wire under Irad Ortiz Jr., completing a half-mile in 48.50 seconds.

Later in the morning, with a big smile on his face, Ortiz said “She did it so easy. She’s doing so good.”

Newspaperofrecord is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes on June 6 at Belmont Park.

Sistercharlie, who has not raced since winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, could train up to the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga on July 20. During the winter, Sistercharlie had gotten sick and missed the Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland, and then her training schedule got compromised by weather.

Brown said he and owner Peter Brant “have discussed training to the Diana” on July 20 at Saratoga. “Now, with the extra week, we can go Diana and Beverly D.,” Brown said. “Trying to win the Diana in back-to-back years; sure I’d love to have a prep going into her first race of the year, but we’re playing the hand we’re dealt.”

Next up were Bricks and Mortar and Raging Bull, the first- and fourth-place finishers from the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on May 4. The two were basically together through a half-mile in 49.87 seconds, though Bricks and Mortar looked to be the boss of this drill.

Bricks and Mortar has won four straight races since returning from an injury that sidelined him a long time. He has won the Pegasus World Cup Turf and the Old Forester Turf Classic, both Grade 1 events.

“He’s really doing well, couldn’t be happier with him,” Brown said. “He’s a model of consistency in both the morning and afternoon.”

Bricks and Mortar and Raging Bull both are pointing to the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan on June 8.

Robert Bruce, another Manhattan possible, worked a half-mile in 49.69 seconds with Instilled Regard. Robert Bruce finished fifth in the Fort Marcy at Belmont on May 4.

A short while later, as rain began to come down, Brown sent out another sextet of workers that included Rymska and Fifty Five, who went five furlongs in 1:01.43. Rymska, second to stablemate Rushing Fall in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, is expected to leave New York on Thursday for Southern California, where she will run in the Grade 1 Gamely at Santa Anita on May 27. Fifty Five is also expected to run that same day against New York-breds in the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes at Belmont.

Demarchelier, a Great Britain-bred 3-year-old who is 2 for 2, drilled five furlongs in 1:01.57 in company with the older Grade 1 winner Almanaar. Demarchelier will point to the Pennine Ridge on June 1. Brown also plans to run Value Proposition in the Pennine Ridge. Value Proposition, a first-out winner at Aqueduct last month, worked a half-mile in 49.03 seconds on the main track Sunday morning. Brown said Digital Age, 3 for 3 including a victory in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs, will train up to the $1 million Belmont Derby on July 6.

“He’s not a big colt – squeezing another race in between for a horse like this, I don’t know if that would benefit him,” Brown said.

Also working for Brown on Sunday were Environs and Precieuse, who went a half-mile in 49.66 seconds together. Those two finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill. Brown is hoping that neither filly handled the yielding turf course that day as he is pointing both to the Grade 1 Just a Game on Belmont Day.

“They trained brilliantly going into the race and have trained brilliantly exiting the race,” Brown said.

Though it was a relatively quiet weekend for Brown, it was still a successful one. On Friday, he ran 1-2 in the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico with Dogtag and Nova Sol.

On Saturday, Brown won the Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly Stakes at Belmont with Seek and Destroy, who was let go at 10-1 odds and returned $22.20.

Seek and Destroy had only raced once previously on turf and that was a sixth-place finish last October at Belmont.

“I rushed her into a race after she got rained off the first time, that’s where the bad race came, my fault, not hers,” Brown said. “It dirtied up her record, gave the misconception she’s not effective on the turf, which you saw yesterday is not true.”

Seek and Destroy earned an 87 Beyer for her victory. Brown mentioned the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George, which has been shortened to a mile, on July 19 as a possible spot for Seek and Destroy this summer.