Crowded Trade works half-mile, remains on target for Preakness

ELMONT, N.Y. - Though Crowded Trade put in a sharp workout Saturday morning at Belmont Park, trainer Chad Brown said afterward the horse remains on target for the Preakness on May 15 and he still plans to run Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Highly Motivated in the Kentucky Derby.

Highly Motivated is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Keeneland before vanning over to Churchill Downs on Monday.

“As long as Highly Motivated works well and comes out of it well on Monday, I’m going to ship him over to Churchill,” Brown said Saturday at Belmont Park.

Crowded Trade, who was second in the Grade 3 Gotham and third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, on Saturday worked a half-mile in 47.35 seconds over the Belmont Park main track in company with Risk Taking, the Grade 3 Withers winner who finished seventh in the Wood.

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On a relatively cool morning, Belmont’s main track was yielding quick times Saturday and Crowded Trade’s work was among the first following the mid-morning renovation break. Crowded Trade got his last quarter in 23.86 seconds.

“He was a little sharp this morning, the cool weather and such, he worked a little quicker than I wanted,” Brown said. “He worked good but I’d still rather give him the extra time and run in the Preakness.”

Brown is pointing Risk Taking to the Peter Pan on May 8 as a steppingstone to the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

All three 3-year-olds are owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables.

Meanwhile, Search Results, the undefeated 3-year-old filly Brown is pointing to the Kentucky Oaks, worked a half-mile in 47.97 seconds in company with Teetotaler. Search Results, also owned by Klarman, got her last quarter in 23.31 seconds while galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.83.

“She worked great, one of her best works yet,” Brown said.

Search Results, a daughter of Flatter, is 3 for 3 with stakes victories in the Busher on March 6 and the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 3.

“She’s had three races now including one at the Oaks distance of a mile and an eighth on a demanding track and did that nicely, I thought,” Brown said. “She has some experience now traveling around and she hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Search Results will ship to Kentucky on Monday, Brown said.