Chancer McPatrick entered in Curlin Stakes
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It’s not often you’ll find a multiple Grade 1 winner in a restricted stakes, but Chancer McPatrick was one of eight 3-year-olds entered Friday for next Thursday’s $135,000 Curlin Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. The Curlin is open to 3-year-olds who have not won a graded stakes at a mile or over in 2025.
Chancer McPatrick won the Grade 1 Hopeful here last summer, as well as the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct in the fall. He is winless in four starts since.
Trainer Chad Brown said his options were the Curlin or the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on Friday.
“The options aren’t great. I’d prefer to run him on a dry, dirt track at Saratoga, where he has two wins,” Brown said. “Having never won a race around two turns, it’s not really what I want to do, but the Amsterdam is just too short for him.”
Brown said he could use the Curlin as a way to prep Chancer McPatrick for the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at seven furlongs on Aug. 23.
Brown also entered the lightly raced Strategic Focus in the Curlin, which can be used as a prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23. Strategic Focus won a maiden race at Aqueduct on April 19 before finishing first but being disqualified from a first-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles here on June 6.
On Friday, Chancer McPatrick and Strategic Focus worked a half-mile together in 49.34 seconds over the main track.
Also entered for the Curlin are Crudo, winner of the Sir Barton Stakes and last-place finisher in the Belmont Stakes, Uncaged, Hypnus, Just a Fair Shake, So Sandy, and Fountain Lake.
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