Chad Brown

Rodeo Creek Racing's GIII Gazelle-winner Ballerina d'Oro worked a half-mile on Saturday over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the GI Kentucky Oaks, NYRA said in Saturday press release. Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro breezed under jockey Dylan Davis and was caught by NYRA clockers covering the distance in 48 seconds flat outside of 'TDN Rising Star' & GISP Hill Road (Quality Road), who the conditioner said is pointing to the GIII Peter Pan Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meet May...

Part of a favored Klaravich Stable entry favored at 70 cents on the dollar, Strategic Focus (c, 3, Gun Runner--Curlin's Mistress, by Curlin) turned in a highly polished debut effort, outfinishing a pair of older rivals to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for his boom sire. Drawn widest in a field of eight, the $500,000 Keeneland September purchase broke fractionally to his right and was taken in hand by Dylan Davis to race in the second half of the field behind fractions of :23.38 for the opening quarter and...

Friday's GIII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland has all the trappings of a high-level race as a salty group of seven older fillies and mares have assembled to go a mile and a sixteenth on the main track. Made the 8-5 choice on Nick Tammaro's morning-line, Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) makes her 4-year-old debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. In 2024, the filly finished off the board in only one Grade I race out of the five. She was last seen running third in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at...

Making the move from France to the States for new connections, Al Jafara (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) rewarded their patience with a 'TDN Rising Star' effort against allowance foes at Keeneland. Fourth against allowance company on unveiling at Chantilly for owner Mansour Aguel and trainer Hedi Ghabri, she returned nine days later at the venue to take on maidens going 1 1/8-miles. She relished the extra real estate and graduated from that condition by 1 1/4 lengths Sept. 16. Entered into Arqana's Arc sale set for last October, she changed hands...

He's not only back, he might be even better than he was last year. 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (h, 5, Lope de Vega {Ire})--Zindaya, by More Than Ready), a back-to-back Grade I winner in 2024 before an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, unleashed a scintillating turn of foot in his 5-year-old debut at Keeneland Friday, capturing the $650,000 GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes by 4 1/4 widening lengths. There was no catching the 4-5 favorite as 3-1 second choice Integration (Quality Road), most recently...

3rd-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 4-11, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:35.89, fm, 2 3/4 lengths. LOW KEY IN LOVE (f, 3, Quality Road--Inlovewithlove, by Bernstein) started her career on the main track at Gulfstream Park Mar. 16 and ran a flat fourth behind 'TDN Rising Star' Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief). Swapped to the turf here and with the wagering action focused on her and Elite Heat (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), the 3-2 favorite had to overcome some contact at the break but recovered well to establish a tracking trip...

Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) is heading to the big dance. The Rodeo Creek Racing colorbearer, off as the 3-5 favorite, outslugged a very game Early On (Union Rags), to deliver a nose victory for trainer Chad Brown in Saturday's GIII Gazelle Stakes at the Big A, good for 100 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Ballerina d'Oro sat a perfect trip beneath Dylan Davis and traveled nicely in an inside fourth through fractions of :24.10 and :48.36. Tipped out on the far turn, she rolled up three...

2nd-GP, $94,000, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 1:23 p.m. ET E Five Racing's NEMO (Into Mischief) gets a start for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Bred by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock, the colt is out of New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita in 2016 followed by the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont the next season. Nemo is the $1.4-million earner's first foal to race. TJCIS PPs   5th-TAM, $53,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 9fT, 2:12 p.m. ET Michael Warden's Mimzy (Ire) (Wootton Bassett...

2nd-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 3-22, 3yo, 1m 40y, 1:40.34, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. LORDSHIP (c, 3, Gun Runner--Flag Day, by Giant's Causeway), the 7-5 favorite in this unveiling, cost himself position at the break with an awkward beginning and was relegated to near last of the six-horse field. Able to save ground into the backstretch, he rated in fifth past the half in :46.70 before advancing with an outside bid around the far turn. Kept wide for the drive, the Triple Crown nominee closed nicely down the stretch to...

Last year's Champion 3-year-old male and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) will return to Fair Grounds to make his 4-year-old bow in the 100th running of the GII New Orleans Classic on Saturday. Tabbed as the 7-5 morning line favorite, Sierra Leone will face nine other opponents including the highly-regarded winner of the GIII Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds Feb. 15, Hall of Fame (Gun Runner). As reported by TDN's Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso, Sierra Leone's trainer Chad Brown had made plans for the colt to make...

9th-Gulfstream, $77,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-9, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.59, ft, 7 1/2 lengths. PRAETOR (c, 3, Into Mischief--Curlin's Approval {MGSW, $654,725}, by Curlin) ran a well-beaten third on debut in the mud at the Spa last August, but he was able to graduate by a neck over the highly-regarded GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief) at the Big A Sept. 27. Given time after a minor injury, the bay returned to work at Chad Brown's Payson base in late January. Slammed at the windows for his...

The accomplished juvenile Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), unraced since finishing seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last Nov. 1, made a triumphant start to his 3-year-old campaign under Flavien Prat. Victorious in his Jun. 4 Saint-Cloud debut for trainer Andre Fabre, he next resurfaced at Saratoga with a win in the Aug. 29 GIII With Anticipation Stakes before stepping up to prevail in the Sept. 28 GII Pilgrim Stakes during the Belmont At The Big A meet. After a steady string of workouts on both dirt...