With Uni and Newspaperofrecord, Brown has them coming and going in First Lady Stakes

Uni needs to boost her racing energy, Newspaperofrecord must ration hers if trainer Chad Brown is going to win the First Lady Stakes for the third year running.

Brown has four of the 11 entrants in the Shadwell Turf Mile on Saturday at Keeneland and two of the six in the First Lady, a Grade 1, one-mile grass race worth $350,000. The First Lady is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, offering the winner a fees-paid entry into the BC Filly and Mare Turf.

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The 1 3/16-mile Filly and Mare Turf is not the spot for Uni or Newspaperofrecord, milers both. Uni won the 2019 First Lady with such a brilliant burst that her connections supplemented her into the BC Mile at a cost of $100,000, which proved a prudent investment when Uni won by 1 1/2 lengths over Got Stormy. But her 6-year-old season this year has been a struggle. Uni, looking heavier than she did at 5, finished third as the even-money favorite in the June 27 Just a Game at Belmont, a race won by Newspaperofrecord with First Lady entrant Beau Recall second.

Uni had missed some late-spring training, needed her comeback run, and figured to improve second time out. Instead, she was a flat seventh Aug. 22 in the Fourstardave, run over a good course softer than Uni’s preferred fast ground.

“It’s a fair question: Has this filly given up her run as a 6-year-old?” Brown said.

His answer, for now, is no.

“I was very surprised at Saratoga,” he said. “We had to go back and regroup a bit, go back to the drawing board. I think she’s breezed really well and looks good now. I think she’s lined up the right way here.”

Even if Uni returns to her best form, she might not beat Newspaperofrecord if that 4-year-old filly gets back to hers. Uni sits back and blasts home with a wicked turn of foot, while Newspaperofrecord likes to race freely, controlling things on the front end. Newspaperofrecord, a dominant 2-year-old, had her own struggles last year at 3, taking three surprising losses before her connections called it a campaign. She regained her old spark this season, cruising to impressive victories in the Intercontinental, her prep, and the Just a Game, her early season goal. But Sept. 5, favored at 1-2 in the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill, Newpaperofrecord had no answer when Beau Recall came to her in the homestretch, finishing second by 1 1/2 lengths.

Newspaperofrecord’s problem last month was the energy she expended during the early and middle portions of her race, with the effect of them felt in the final quarter-mile. No horse challenged Newspaperofrecord for the lead, but she became too aggressive, battling with jockey Javier Castellano.

“I think Javier made his best effort to settle her a little bit, but knowing her, if she gets in a disagreement with the jockey, she’s not going to run her best,” Brown said.

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Castellano was riding Newspaperofrecord for the first time. Saturday, Tyler Gaffalione gets his first shot on the filly, who figures to dictate the pace.

Beau Recall has beaten both Brown’s horses this year, but is a closer lacking tactical speed who comes off the best race of her career about a month ago. Her lone Keeneland start came before Brad Cox took over her training and transformed Beau Recall from a listed stakes-type filly to a serious Grade 1 animal on her best day. Manny Franco rode Beau Recall to perfection in the Distaff Turf Mile but isn’t at Keeneland on Saturday, with Julien Leparoux getting his first chance on the 6-year-old.

Two of the 5-year-old Daddy Is a Legend’s best races were her second-place finishes in the Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar in 2018 and 2019. She didn’t race between December and August this year, and after a poor soft-turf performance in her comeback, improved last out at Kentucky Downs. She must improve several lengths again to contend and, peak to peak, will find three horses better than she Saturday.

Dalika transferred her turf-sprinting prowess to a restricted one-mile stakes win last out at Kentucky Downs. She has the pace to keep Newspaperofrecord in range but probably can’t finish with the best in the First Lady.

The longshot Crystal Lake completes the field.