Franco rewards Brown's faith as Sifting Sands takes Better Talk Now

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Chad Brown didn’t give up on Manny Franco after a difficult trip aboard Sifting Sands in a stakes race at Aqueduct in April.

Franco rewarded Brown’s faith in him with two strong rides aboard Sifting Sands at Saratoga this summer, the second coming in Sunday’s $120,000 Better Talk Now Stakes, in which Sifting Sands ran down the pacesetting Dreamer’s Disease to win by a head.

Bettors were also rewarded as Sifting Sands returned $18.80 on Sunday. He paid $58 when he won an allowance race here July 28.

Sifting Sands finished last of seven in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct in April. Brown said Sifting Sands can be a bit headstrong and, entering the first turn of that race, Franco grabbed Sifting Sands in a bid to save ground. Franco got into a “tug of war” with him, Brown said, before the horse quit.

Brown freshened Sifting Sands and gave Franco another opportunity to ride him here July 24. Franco got him up late to win by a head in a first-level allowance.

“We learned that don’t get in his way too early, you cannot grab him right away,” Franco said. “You got to give him his head, when you get your position leave him comfortable. He seemed like he liked it like that.”

On Sunday, Franco let Sifting Sands run into the first turn, settling into fourth, about four lengths off the pace of Dreamer’s Disease, who, under David Cohen, had a one-length lead through splits of 23.79 seconds, 47.14 and 1:10.96 for six furlongs.

Franco swung Sifting Sands three-wide turning for home and was able to reel-in Dreamer’s Disease in the final strides to get the victory.

Sifting Sands, a 3-year-old son of Dubawi owned by Peter Brant, covered the mile in 1:35.12.

“I really have to compliment Manny for his last two rides on this horse,” Brown said. “We just worked as a team. He had a disastrous race down at Aqueduct, but we stuck with Manny on this horse [because] we thought we learned something with him and gave him a redo with the horse.”

:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Dreamer’s Disease finished two lengths clear of Wolfie’s Dynaghost. Danzigwiththestars finished fourth and was followed by Dr Jack, Ranger Fox, In Effect and Straw the Gold, the 3-1 favorite.

The victory by Sifting Sands capped a strong two-week period for Brown, who now looks poised to win his fourth trainer’s title in the last six years.

Brown, who was 17 for 96 through the first 24 days of the meet, has gone 17 for 52 over the last 10 days, including 12 wins this last week. Brown’s 34 victories give him a nine-win advantage over Todd Pletcher with six days of racing remaining.