Flintshire heavily favored to repeat in Sword Dancer

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Chad Brown is running three horses in the Grade 1 Travers, bringing back the undefeated Lady Eli from a 13-month layoff in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa, and sending out a Breeders’ Cup winner in the Grade 1 Ballerina.

But the one race he is expected to win above all others on Saturday’s 13-race blockbuster Saratoga card is the Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer Invitational with Flintshire, arguably the top male turf horse in North America.

Flintshire will be heavily favored to win his third straight stakes for Brown when he meets six rivals – two from his own barn – in the Sword Dancer, run at 1 1/2 miles over the inner turf course. The New York Racing Association is prohibiting show wagering despite the seven-horse field.

Flintshire, a 6-year-old Juddmonte homebred son of Dansili, won the Sword Dancer last year when he was in the Andre Fabre barn. His eye-catching turn of foot on firm turf was one reason why Prince Khalid Abdullah opted to send the horse stateside for a 2016 campaign. Flintshire should catch firm turf for a third straight race Saturday.

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Brown, who received the horse in March, is equally impressed with Flintshire’s mental makeup as his physical prowess.

“Every time I breeze this horse, I’m so impressed how easy he does things,” Brown said. “He’s a really neat horse to be around. He’s so classy, he’s so intelligent. He handles things so well, you observe him and you feel like he’s figured it out. He’s so talented, he’s so smart, it really makes him who he is.”

In his first start this year, off a 161-day layoff, Flintshire won the Grade 1 Manhattan going 1 1/4 miles on the Belmont Stakes undercard. With the Sword Dancer as the next major objective, Brown ran him in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, which Flintshire won narrowly over Grand Tito.

The four-horse field in the Bowling Green got bunched up, and it took another dramatic turn of foot once Javier Castellano got Flintshire out in the clear to garner a three-quarter-length victory.

For this race, Juddmonte is putting in a rabbit in the form of Inordinate to spread out the field a little.

“We feel as a team it’s worth a try to help ensure a good, honest pace,” Brown said. “Hopefully, he could work out a cleaner trip.”

Flintshire will break from post 6 in the seven-horse field and will carry the top weight of 124 pounds, spotting two to 16 pounds to the field.

Brown also will run Money Multiplier, who has sandwiched two allowance wins around runner-up finishes in the Man o’ War and United Nations, both Grade 1 stakes. Money Multiplier will be receiving eight pounds from Flintshire.

“He’s in there on his own merits and will try to do the best he can,” Brown said. “I think he fits with this group.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Money Multiplier from post 2.

Grand Tito is chasing Flintshire for a third consecutive race. He was beaten 2 3/4 lengths by him in the Manhattan before leading into deep stretch in the Bowling Green.

Twilight Eclipse is meeting Flintshire for the fourth time. He was third to him in the Bowling Green and in last year’s Sword Dancer. In the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Turf, Twilight Eclipse finished third, and Flintshire was second to Main Sequence.

Twilight Eclipse is running in his fourth consecutive Sword Dancer. He has a second and two thirds.

Roman Approval, second to Money Multiplier last out, completes the field.

The Sword Dancer goes as race 10 at 4:49 p.m. Eastern.