Bruce Brown hanging around with the big hitters

ELMONT, N.Y. – It is not unusual to see the names Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher atop the trainers’ standings at Belmont Park. It is, however, a bit of a surprise when the name Bruce Brown is listed right there with them.

Through the first 14 days – or almost one-third – of the Belmont meet, Bruce Brown was hanging with the big boys, having saddled seven winners from 14 starters. He was tied with Pletcher, and both of them are two wins behind Chad Brown.

“Things have really fallen into place here,” Bruce Brown said Monday. “I haven’t been running a lot, but what I have run all is running good.”

Over a four-day period last week, Brown won with four of six runners, including the first-time starter Giantinthemoonlite, a full brother to the stakes winner Giant Moon. On Friday, Giantinthemoonlite won a six-furlong race by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:11.02, earning an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s done everything right since we had him,” said Brown, who credited owner and breeder Al Fried and his staff for “taking their time with him.”

“I only see him getting better,” Brown said. “He’s still a little green, but he came out of the race great, and hopefully there are better things ahead.”

Brown said he will nominate Giantinthemoonlite to the Mike Lee Stakes on May 31 but suspects it could be a little bit too soon to run him back.

On the same day, Brown ran one-two in an optional-claiming turf sprint with Strong Impact and Sprint to the Sky. Surprisingly, Strong Impact, an 8-year-old gelding, was claimed from Brown by David Jacobson.

“He’s been very good to us,” said Brown, who trained him for Tom LaMarca. “He was a great horse to have in the barn; he was like the barn pet. We hate to see him go. He seems like he’s getting better with age. For some reason, Spring to the Sky can’t beat that horse.”

Brown will look to keep his roll going Wednesday when he sends out two runners on Belmont’s nine-race card.

In the second, he’ll bring Brilliant Command back to the races in a one-mile maiden race scheduled for turf. Brilliant Command ran second at 36-1 in his debut last Aug. 4 at Saratoga and came back to finish seventh in his second start Aug. 23. He has not run since.

“He came out of that race with some bumps and bruises, and we gave him some time, and before you know it, it’s the end of the turf season,” Brown said. “It was a longer vacation than we planned, but he’s come back well. Expect him to run well. He definitely showed he had ability.”

In the third, a $20,000 claiming race, Brown brings Bridgetta back to the races off a 15-month layoff.

“She had a splint and different things,” Brown said. “I turned a lot of horses out over the winter, and the fresh horses have come back good and been running good. Hopefully, Wednesday’s no different.”