Guarana wins Madison, gives Brown his 100th Grade 1

Overtaken in the upper stretch after making all the running, heavily favored Guarana fought back to give trainer Chad Brown the 100th Grade 1 victory of his illustrious career by winning the $250,000 Madison Stakes on the Blue Grass Stakes undercard Saturday at Keeneland.

Jose Ortiz went to an all-out drive on Guarana once the 4-year-old filly was overhauled by Mia Mischief, a 5-year-old mare with Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard.

“I was trying to get her going, but she was just staying there, staying there,” said Ortiz. “Then Ricardo passed me for a half-length. When I got into my filly left-handed, she really responded.”

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

Indeed, it took nearly a dozen whacks of a left-handed whip for Guarana to roar back to a half-length triumph, her fifth from six lifetime starts. The Ghostzapper filly becomes an obvious contender for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, which will be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland at the same seven-furlong distance as the Madison.

A Three Chimneys Farm homebred co-owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Guarana returned $3 after finishing the 19th Madison in 1:21.70 over a fast track.

On paper, Amy’s Challenge was supposed to contend for the early lead outside of Mia Mischief in a field of eight, but it didn’t work out that way. Ortiz found himself on the lead with Guarana, tracked closest by Mia Mischief, with Amy’s Challenge not much farther behind.

“I thought they were going to go in front of me,” said Ortiz. “But I felt like we were going comfortable.”

“I trusted Jose was working out the best trip for her,” said Whit Beckman, the local assistant who was deputizing for Brown, who watched from his New York base.

Brown told Keeneland publicity afterward that Guarana “showed that she’s a very special horse, which we’ve known for a long time.”

Brown’s first Grade 1 victory came with Zagora in the Diana at Saratoga in July 2011. The 41-year-old New York native is a surefire future Hall of Famer, having been voted the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer in each of the last four years (2016-19) while setting all kinds of records.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

This latest accomplishment “is right up there near the top,” said Brown. “It’s a whole body of work from 12 1/2 years now of training. It has to do with my team of co-workers, owners, and horses, both present and past. They all contributed to the 100 Grade 1’s.”

Mia Mischief finished 3 1/4 lengths before Bell’s the One, with Wildwood’s Beauty another half-length back in fourth. Then came Sally’s Curlin, Unique Factor, Amy’s Challenge, and Diamond Crazy. Princess Causeway was a late scratch.

The $2 exacta (5-7) paid $15, the $1 trifecta (5-7-8) returned $19.90 and the 10-cent superfecta (5-7-8-2) was worth $11.42.