Program Trading outlasts Naval Power in fierce Turf Classic victory

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On Friday at Churchill Downs, Dynamic Pricing won the Edgewood Stakes at 8-1, and her favored stablemate Hard to Justify finished ninth. On Saturday, in the Distaff Turf Mile, it was 4-1 Chili Flag over her 8-5 stablemate Coppice. The pattern held in the Grade 1, $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic, which trainer Chad Brown won with 4-1 Program Trading. The Brown-trained race favorite I'm Very Busy never came close to contending, and finished seventh.

Brown barely won his fourth Turf Classic at all. Program Trading and the Charlie Appleby-trained Naval Power fought tooth and nail through the final furlong, Program Trading reaching for the wire to win by a head. Frankie Dettori gave Naval Power a good trip, tracking longshot pacesetter Never Surprised from two paths off the rail after breaking from post 10. Flavien Prat gave Program Trading a better one.

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Prat got his mount out of the gate in good order and made for the rail, easing just in front of Anglophile and Integration to find the fence before a furlong had been run. Never Surprised always was going to lead, and when he cleared and got over to the rail before the first turn, Program Trading plunked perfectly into the pocket. There Prat stayed through slow fractions of 24.48 and 49.51, waiting patiently for Never Surprised to begin an inevitable fade. Prat popped off the rail just after turning into the homestretch, going around Never Surprised as Dettori stoked Naval Power up for his final run. The two hooked up before the eighth pole, dueled to the wire, Program Trading a little better than his fellow 4-year-old while making his first start since Dec. 2.

"This horse, he's done great all winter," said Brown, who trains Program Trading for Klaravich Stables. "The one thing I told Flavien in the paddock was just keep in mind he's off a layoff and he's definitely in with horses that are race-fit. You're going to have to save a little ground somewhere. What a masterful ride."

The horse is pretty good, too. An England-bred ridgling by Lope de Vega and the Oasis Dream mare Dreamlike, Program Trading debuted with Brown's Monmouth string last summer rather than in New York because Brown was trying to find spots for his many turf maidens. Program Trading won his debut, then a first-level allowance, and made it 3 for 3 with the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational. At Colonial Downs a month later, he was second to Integration, but avenged that defeat Saturday, when Integration finished fourth, a nose behind third-place Webslinger.

Program Trading capped his excellent 3-year-old campaign with a narrow win in the Hollywood Derby, and appears poised to have a 4-year-old season at least as good.

"He's nearly undefeated on the turf, which is very hard to do. He's versatile, he's won at a mile and an eighth, he can run a mile and a quarter, no problem. Really exciting horse," said Brown, who will aim Program Trading toward the Manhattan Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga.

Program Trading ($10.18) ran 1 1/8 miles on a "good" course in 1:50.30 (102 Beyer Speed Figure). The horse has won on the lead, won after pressing the pace, come from six lengths out of it in the Hollywood Derby, and now from just behind the leader. Program Trading can make his own luck, and there's no questioning his gameness.

Webslinger did well to finish third after being moved very early, before the three-furlong marker, while wide on the far turn. He tired late but Integration, who had a decent trip, still was unable to catch him for third. Far Bridge showed a little spark late for fifth, but the race's grave disappointment was I'm Very Busy, who was too far off a mild tempo to begin with, and didn't punch home with anything like the burst he showed finishing second in the Pegasus World Cup Turf and winning the Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds. There, he beat Webslinger by almost four lengths.

I'm Very Busy acted up in the gate and was backed out to be examined by a state veterinarian before being approved to run and reloaded. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told Brown that I'm Very Busy had gotten a rear foot all the way over the back door of his starting-gate stall. Even before loading, the colt had been off his game.

"It really started in the paddock. which was disappointing for me," Brown said. "We paddock-schooled him, he did pretty well. Not every horse can handle a couple hundred thousand people; I guess walking over he must have gotten keyed up. I had to saddle him on the walk, which I've never had to do with this horse. You can probably draw a line through this race."

It was not the favorite's day, but Brown, once again, had another horse to take care of business.

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