Saratoga Stakes Previews: Brown goes four deep in pursuit of seventh G1 Diana victory

Posted On 14 Jul 2022

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown holds the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana in very high regard, having won the prestigious turf test a record six times, including with champions Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19] and Rushing Fall [2020]. On Saturday, the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner will saddle four talented runners in the nine-furlong test for older fillies and mares over the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Brown, who earned his first Grade 1 victory in the 2011 Diana with Zagora, has been represented by at least two fillies in the race every year since 2013.

“It’s been a race we’ve focused on for many years now since I opened my own stable. Once again, we have horses that belong in the race,” said Brown.

Three of the fillies Brown will saddle this year are owned by Peter Brant, including undefeated Bleecker Street, who exits a half-length triumph in the 10-furlong Grade 1 New York on June 10 at Belmont Park.

Bleecker Street, who boasts a perfect 7-for-7 record, has shown improvement numbers wise in each of her starts. She earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure from her winning effort in the New York.

“She’s developed beyond anyone’s expectations, even mine,” Brown said. “Every time I’ve asked her to do something, she’s stepped up and done it. Every single one of her races has been a new challenge for her, and no matter the competition, distance or type of turf she’s on at various racetracks, she keeps meeting the challenges.

“She runs faster numbers each time and is slowly getting better and stronger,” he added. “You can’t start your career any better than that, especially on turf, where you’re so trip dependent and weather dependent. For her to start off winning seven straight is just remarkable.”

Brown initially believed the 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road would find a home on dirt due to her pedigree, being out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Liqueur, who was stakes-placed on dirt.

“When we bought the horse, we really thought she was a dirt horse and it surprised me that she was training average on it,” Brown said. “Normally, I get a better handle of what surface they’ll be on when they first come into the barn. We tested her out on the turf hopeful, curious, and she ran super the first time.

“From there, it became a function of trying to develop her on turf when we could get it, separating other horses and such as we’re doing it, and she just so happened to start that way,” Brown added. “We liked her, but we just needed to see more because we definitely had a lens on dirt with her. I did for a long time, and she wasn’t quite getting it done. She very much has an American dirt pedigree, so it was a bit of a surprise to me.”

Bleecker Street has yet to make a dirt start. She debuted in August 2021 at Monmouth Park with a half-length victory before defeating winners at The Meadowlands two months later. Put on the shelf for the remainder of the year, she won her 4-year-old debut in an allowance optional claiming event at Tampa Bay Downs on January 8 before capturing the Grade 3 Endeavor and Grade 3 Hillsborough over the same track.

Brown said it was in Florida where he realized Bleecker Street’s true potential.

“When I took her down to Florida she really started to blossom, and it became clear to me that this was a graded stakes level filly,” Brown said. “It confirmed to me that she needs to be on track to run in Grade 1s because she had developed that much. As horses get older and change, they can go one way or another, and she went the right way.”

Brown expressed no concern in cutting Bleecker Street back in distance from the New York.

“She has such a good turn of foot, that it doesn’t seem to matter for her,” Brown said. “I was more worried about the mile and a quarter with her going into the last one, so a mile and an eighth seems to be fine.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who teamed up with Brown to win the Diana aboard Dacita [2016] as well as Lady Eli, will pilot Bleecker Street from post 3.

Striving for redemption after a disappointing fifth as the favorite in the New York is Rougir, who is owned by Brant and Michael Tabor. Previously conditioned by Cedric Rossi in her native France, the 4-year-old Territories chestnut was a narrow winner of last year’s Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp before finishing seventh when making her stateside debut in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf one month later at Del Mar.

Rougir was entered in the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale and was purchased by Brant for nearly $3.4 million and transferred to Brown’s stable. She made her debut for Brown a winning one in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 14 at Belmont Park.

“Her first start was terrific and her second start she just didn’t show up. Maybe the turf was too firm for her – she seems to prefer a softer ground,” Brown said.

Brown also said it’s possible he may have run Rougir back too quick.

“Every horse is different. [After] her first start in the country, she may have had a bit of a Euro bounce. In hindsight, exiting that race she seemed mentally a little unorganized,” Brown said. “The weeks after that, she started to settle down and really trained focused and smooth. I put the pieces together that maybe she needed a little more time from the Beaugay and I’m hopeful that’s the case.”

Rougir will be piloted by Flavien Prat from post 4.

While a late-closing turn of foot is the best weapon for Bleecker Street and Rougir, Brown’s other two Diana aspirants, Technical Analysis and In Italian, boast strong early speed.

Both fillies have won graded stakes over the turf in gate-to-wire fashion.

“I have to give both horses the opportunity to run. In Italian seems to be a faster horse than Technical Analysis,” said Brown. “We’ll see how it shakes out when they break.”

Klaravich Stables’ Technical Analysis captured the Grade 3 Gallorette on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course last out, registering a career-best 96 Beyer for her 3 1/4-length victory. The 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Kingman is 2-for-2 at the Spa, winning last year’s Grade 3 Lake George and Grade 2 Lake Placid over the inner turf.

“She loves Saratoga, obviously. To win two turf stakes in the same meet at Saratoga is very hard to do, I don’t care which two stakes they are,” Brown said. “For her to win those two stakes as a 3-year-old here, that puts you in high regard. She clearly has an affinity not only for the track at Saratoga, but for the environment. She really loves it up here. She’s in great form and she’s here, so she deserves a chance to run in a Grade 1.”

While she displayed frontrunning fashion in the Lake Placid, Technical Analysis did rate in the Lake George and Brown said he wouldn’t mind seeing jockey Jose Ortiz use the same tactics for Saturday’s race.

Technical Analysis will break from post 1.

Brant’s In Italian, an English-bred Dubawi chestnut, enters off a third in the one-mile Grade 1 Just a Game on June 11, where she finished 4 3/4 lengths in arrears of stablemate and fellow Brant color-bearer Regal Glory.

Never off the board in six career starts, In Italian won the Grade 3 Honey Fox on March 5 at Gulfstream Park en route to a runner-up placing to another Brant-owned and Brown-trained turf distaffer in Speak of the Devil.

“She’s been training super and as long as the turf is firm, she’ll run,” Brown said.

Joel Rosario will pilot In Italian from post 6.

English-based conditioner Charlie Appleby sent out the one-two finishers in last year’s Diana in Althiqa and Summer Romance, replicating their exacta from the 2021 Just a Game. This time around Appleby returns from his Moulton Paddocks yard in Newmarket with Godolphin’s Creative Flair.

The 4-year-old Dubawi bay arrived in New York on July 1 and trained at Belmont Park before shipping up to Saratoga on Tuesday to the care of Appleby’s traveling assistant Chris Connett. She trained over the Saratoga main track on Wednesday.

“She had a canter around the main track this morning and will have a last blow-out tomorrow morning before Saturday,” Connett said. “We’re very happy with how she traveled over to Belmont. She’s been training well.”

Connet oversaw Creative Flair last summer at Saratoga when she closed to finish third in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational.

“We probably walked away from it a little disappointed with the trip she got through the race, but it was her first proper trip away from the U.K., so it was all a learning experience and good to get under the belt which stands her in good stead for this year,” said Connet.

Connet said Creative Flair has matured since last summer and enters Saturday’s test from a prominent three-quarter length score in the Group 2 Balanchine in February at Meydan.

“She’s strengthened, really. She’s filled out a little bit more. She was lighter framed last year and now she’s filled out and blossomed,” Connett said. “The team is very happy with her and she’s traveled up to Saratoga in good fettle.”

Jamie Spencer will ship to Saratoga to pilot Creative Flair from post 2.

Completing the field is Bal Mar Equine’s Dalika for trainer Al Stall, Jr. The German-bred daughter of Pastorious exits from a runner-up effort in her seasonal debut in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on June 5 at Churchill Downs.

A four-time stakes winner over three different racetracks, Dalika won last year’s Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park in her lone graded conquest. She made the first of three Saratoga starts in August 2019 when a hard-fought second at 22-1 odds in the restricted Riskaverse over yielding turf.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. will ride from post 5.

The Diana is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 11-race program, which features the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford in Race 10. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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Contact: Ryan Martin

Big Invasion prepared for battle in G3 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Big Invasion is one of two contenders, along with Nobals, bringing a four-race win streak into Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomores at Saratoga Race Course.

The Christophe Clement-trained Big Invasion, by Declaration of War, graduated at second asking in February over the Gulfstream Park turf and followed one month later over the same course with a three-length score in the five-furlong Texas Glitters.

Big Invasion shipped to Churchill Downs in May and captured the 5 1/2-furlong William Walker with a close stalking trip. Last out, Big Invasion demonstrated a new dimension, blitzing from nine-lengths off the pace under Joel Rosario to post a 3 1/4-length score in the seven-furlong Paradise Creek on May 29 at Belmont.

“That’s Joel, he rides him and decides what style he wants to be ridden,” said Clement. “He’s a very nice horse. I’m just hoping for some good weather because I don’t want to run him on soft turf.”

Big Invasion will exit post 8 under Rosario.

Clement has also entered multiple-stakes winner Senbei for the main-track only.

Trainer Larry Rivelli has entered a pair of top contenders in Nobals and One Timer but said only one will contest the Quick Call as both are to be cross-entered in the $100,000 My Frenchman on Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Rivelli said Patricia’s Hope’s Nobals, a six-time winner by Noble Mission, is most likely to run at Saratoga. He enters on a four-race win streak dating to January 8 with a score in the 6 1/2-furlong Turfway Prevue over the synthetic and followed at the same track in April with a gate-to-wire win in the six-furlong Animal Kingdom. The bay gelding then shipped north to Woodbine to capture the six-furlong Woodstock over the Tapeta and followed last out with a 1 1/2-length win in a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance on June 5 at Churchill Downs.

While his last four wins have come on the front end, Nobals captured the Arlington-Washington Futurity at seven furlongs over the synthetic in August with an off-the-pace approach. He stretched out to one mile on the turf in a productive juvenile campaign that ended with a close fifth, utilizing a closing approach under Irad Ortiz, Jr., in the Golden Mile in November at Del Mar on the Breeders’ Cup undercard.

Rivelli said he went into the Del Mar race with high expectations, but the result prompted him to change tactics with the $3,500 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase.

“I thought that was going to be his lick. But we reserved him and rated him and we might have choked the speed out of him. I was disappointed in the effort and at that point I thought maybe we just had a horse,” Rivelli said. “So, we worked with him at the gate and put a little more speed into him and it all just worked out. As he got older, he got better and figured it out. The other day they ran right up to him and I thought they were going to run right by him at Churchill and he just re-broke.”

Rivelli said the revitalized Nobals is capable of taking his racetrack with him.

“He’s a good shipper and runs on any surface,” Rivelli said. “He’s just got faster and quicker since he’s got older. He jumps out of there now a lot faster than he used to. The other day was a pretty good race at Churchill.”

Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount from post 4.

Patricia’s Hope and Richard Ravin’s One Timer, by Trappe Shot, is named in honor of Rivelli’s son, Dominick, a promising hockey player.

“He’s a real good hockey player. He’s going to go to Miami of Ohio on a hockey scholarship. He plays juniors now,” Rivelli said. “My son is known for having one of the best one-timers, so it’s a fitting name. Usually, when you name them after someone they’re never any good, but this one worked out.”

A winner of 4-of-5 starts, the bay gelding captured the Victoria over the Woodbine synthetic last July and then shipped to Santa Anita in October to win the Speakeasy at five furlongs on turf. He closed out his 2-year-old campaign with a ninth-place finish, defeated just two lengths by the victorious Twilight Gleaming, in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.

One Timer made a successful seasonal debut last out, posting a 6 1/4-length score in the six-furlong Tom Ridge on May 23 over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic.

“He’s been all over. He went to the Breeders’ Cup. He went to Canada. The two of them are almost identical horses as far as their running style and the surface they run on,” Rivelli said. “I do want to get One Timer on the dirt at some point as he trains great on it.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano is named on One Timer from post 6.

Rebecca Hillen’s Asymmetric, an Irish-bred Showcasing colt, captured the Group 2 Richmond last July at Goodwood before finishing third in the Group 1 Prix Morny in August at Deauville for former conditioner Alan King.

He debuted for conditioner Wesley Ward last out as the pacesetter in the Paradise Creek, opening up a six-length lead before settling for runner-up honors to Big Invasion.

Asymmetric, who races with blinkers off, will exit post 7 under Jamie Spencer.

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso’s New York-bred Run Curtis Run was a game second in the Grade 3 Futurity in October traveling six furlongs over the Belmont turf ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Trained by Mike Maker, the Summer Front bay launched his sophomore campaign with a pair of starts at Churchill Downs, finishing third to Big Invasion in the William Walker and second last out to Nobals in a June 5 turf allowance.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. retains the mount from post 3.

Rounding out the field are allowance winner Sky and Sand [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione]; three-time state-bred winner Surprise Boss [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche]; and Dance Code [post 5, Abner Adorno],a stakes-winner on dirt. Hagler is entered for the main-track only.

The Quick Call is slated as Race 8 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.