Litfin's preview: Brown looks formidable in two stakes
Brown loaded for bear in stakes for 2-year-olds
Heading into the weekend, all nine of Chad Brown’s winners at the Belmont fall meet had come on turf. So it’s not surprising that last year’s fall training titlist has five major contenders in Sunday’s Miss Grillo and Pilgrim, a pair of Grade 3, $200,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the Widener course that highlight Sunday’s 10-race card.
Brown has three fillies in the Miss Grillo, which is race 7 and the first leg of the late pick four: Lady Eli, Partisan Politics, and Tammy the Torpedo. Tammy the Torpedo is part of a Long Lake Stable-owned entry with Greywalls, trained by John Terranova.
All three of Brown’s fillies exit wins at Saratoga. Lady Eli and Tammy the Torpedo took their debuts; Partisan Politics garnered her maiden win second out in the P.G. Johnson Stakes.
Partisan Politics’s win came at the expense of runner-up Sunday Sonnet, who was entered back in Saturday’s Grade 1 Chandelier at Santa Anita.
“[Partisan Politics] was bumped so hard on the first turn, I was expecting that she would chuck it on the backside…I was super impressed with that effort,” said Brown.
In the Pilgrim (race 9), Brown sends out Offering Plan and Startup Nation, who displayed potent finishing kicks at the Spa.
Startup Nation followed a debut win over New York-bred maidens with a smashing score in the Grade 2 With Anticipation. Offering Plan trailed by 11 lengths through the early stages of his debut victory.
“Neither horse has done anything wrong,” said Brown. “I think [Startup Nation] has had enough time since [the With Anticipation], and I don’t think he was all out to win the race. I think [Offering Plan] got a lot of fitness out of that race, and he should move forward off of it.”
Horse to watch
LISMORE
Trainer: George Weaver
Last race: Sept. 26, 6th
Finish: 2nd by 1 3/4
Beyer: 58
This 2-year-old Tiznow filly broke toward the rear, angled five wide rallying in the stretch, and finished well in a seven-furlong maiden turf sprint first time out.