Flintshire's Manhattan victory highlights big day for Brown

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown enjoyed a sensational Belmont Stakes Day, winning four races on the card, topped by the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan with Flintshire.

Brown also won the Easy Goer Stakes with Economic Model, an allowance race with the 3-year-old Connect, and another allowance race with Fundamental. That win was somewhat bittersweet as it came as the result of the Brown-trained Inordinate being disqualified in a highly questionable decision by the stewards.

Still, the biggest prize for Brown on Saturday was the Manhattan. Flintshire, a three-time Grade 1 winner who was making his first start for Brown and first in six months, scored a decisive 1 3/4-length victory over Ironicus, who encountered some trouble coming up the rail.

“The horse ran to his works,” Brown said. “The horse had been working great and he ran great.”

Flintshire ran 1 1/4 miles in 1:58.92 and earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

The year-end goal for Flintshire is the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 5 and Brown said he and Garrett O’Rourke of Juddmonte Farms will devise a schedule to get there.

The options for Flintshire would be to run twice at Saratoga in races like the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 30 and Grade 1 Sword Dancer - a race he won last year - on Aug. 27. Or, he could simply train up to the Arlington Million on Aug. 13 and then have plenty of time to a race like the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont on Oct. 1.

“The way he cut back yesterday to a mile and a quarter you’d also have to consider a race like the Arlington Million. You’d have to keep it mind anyway,” Brown said.

Slumber, last year’s Manhattan winner, finished eighth in this year’s Manhattan. He was vanned off and has soft tissue inflammation, according to Brown. Brown said Slumber was comfortable walking the shed row Sunday morning. Further diagnostic tests will be done in the coming days to determine the 8-year-old’s future.

Big Blue Kitten, who finished sixth in the Manhattan, “ran into a little trouble” in the race and “after that I think he just ran even,” Brown said. “Certainly the pace and the turf condition really didn’t play into his favor. We’ll regroup with him and no immediate plans.”

Economic Model, a son of Flatter who won the Easy Goer Stakes, could be pointed to the Grade 2, $500,000 Dwyer here on July 9.

“It’s right here at the track he just ran well on so I have to look at it,” Brown said.

Connect, a 3-year-old son of Curlin who won a first-level allowance race by 3 3/4 lengths on Saturday, could be pointed to the Dwyer, Jim Dandy, or Haskell, Brown said.

Dacita, winner of Friday’s Grade 2, $500,000 New York Stakes, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga on July 23, Brown said. Sea Calisi, runner-up in the New York, will more than likely train up to the Beverly D. at Arlington on Aug. 13. Brown said she grabbed a quarter when she stumbled at the break and may have compromised her late run in addition to the fact she ran into traffic in the stretch. Brown said there are no immediate plans for Guapaza, third in the New York.