Barn Tour: See where Chad Brown will send 7 standouts

Lexington, Ky.

He has Zandon pointed toward Kentucky Derby 2022. He is weighing whether to have Early Voting join him. If not for some bad luck, Chad Brown might also have had Jack Christopher in the race. 

Of course, Brown’s stable is about much more than America’s biggest race. Making the case that he is America’s best turf trainer of all time might get an argument. But he has to be in the conversation – and on a very short list.

RELATED: Zandon is in Derby; Early Voting is a question mark.

Still, getting his name on the roll of Derby-winning trainers remains near the top of Brown’s to-do list.

“It’s important for us to have success in this race and attract more prospects down the road,” said Brown, whose best Derby finish was with Good Magic, the runner-up in 2018 to Justify. “Certainly, our team has shown the ability to get to these races and develop horses like this. We’re always looking for the next freshman class coming in the door. We always want to be considered for some of the better prospects, for sure.”

That is precisely what Brown has done in the turf divisions, where he continues to flex his dominance. It also is where a good many of his top horses are being pointed for their next races, many of which will be Kentucky Derby week. So, too, might a couple dirt standouts, including Jack Christopher. Brown outlined them in a Barn Tour last weekend at Keeneland for Horse Racing Nation.

Rockemperor. Since winning last fall in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), he finished out of the money twice at Del Mar – eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and fifth in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2). Now 6, the Holy Roman Emperor horse since has been training at Payson Park in Florida. “He might show up in the Fort Marcy (G2) next,” said Brown, referring to the 1 1/8-mile, $200,000 turf race at Belmont Park for older horses. The May 7 renewal, the same day as the Derby, may as well be known as the Fort Chad. Brown has trained five of its winners, including the last four.

Tribhuvan. The winner of last year’s Fort Marcy could be back for that race, or he could be pointed to Churchill Downs. “I’m not really sure,” Brown said. “He could end up in the Old Forester on Derby day or the Fort Marcy.” The Old Forester is the Turf Classic (G1), a $1 million test for older horses going 1 1/8 miles. Brown won that race the last three years, including the 2021 dead heat between Domestic Spending and Todd Pletcher’s Colonel Liam. Now 6, Tribhuvan last raced in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, where he finished 13th of 14. The Toronado horse’s last win was July 17 in the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth Park.

Bleecker Street. The 4-year-old Quality Road filly is 5-for-5, including two graded-stakes victories this winter at Tampa Bay Downs. Coming off her 3 3/4-length win March 5 in the Hillsborough (G2), Bleecker Street is being aimed to the May 6 Kentucky Oaks undercard. “She is doing really well, and she is pointing to the Modesty (G3) at Churchill,” Brown said. The 1 1/8-mile, $250,000 turf race for older fillies and mares is one of the stakes that was moved to Louisville after the closing of Arlington. It used to be held in July.

Dolce Zel. Since breaking her maiden last fall in her native France, the 3-year-old Zelzal filly was sold to Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin and Robert LaPenta, who then sent her to Brown. She since has won the Florida Oaks (G3) and finished second to odds-on favorite Spenderella this month in the Appalachian (G2) over good turf at Keeneland. “She’s come out of her runner-up finish in good shape,” Brown said. “She’ll probably go onto the Edgewood (G2) at Churchill.” The 1 1/16-mile, $500,000 turf stakes also is on the Oaks undercard.

In Italian. The 4-year-old Dubawi filly seemingly has not taken a wrong step since she came back from an eight-month break early this year. After an allowance score in January at Tampa Bay Downs, In Italian had a successful stakes debut in March, winning the Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Brown said she figures to show up in Louisville on Derby day. “The Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill looks like her next start.” Brown has trained two winners – Roca Rojo in 2017 and Blowout last year – in what is now a $500,000 race.

Brown also has main-track standouts who have been pointed to stakes this spring.

Search Results. Since she earned her first Grade 1 triumph last June in the Acorn, the 4-year-old Flatter filly has been a beaten favorite twice. She finished third at Saratoga in the August running of the Test (G1), got an eight-month break and then made her season debut with a third-place finish April 9 in the Distaff Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct. “She came back and was disappointing, which is a head scratcher,” Brown said. “She had a nice winter training (in Florida). We’ll probably draw a line through that and bring her back at Belmont in the Ruffian (G2).” The $200,000, one-turn mile for older fillies and mares will be May 8, the day after the Kentucky Derby. Brown won it in 2018 with Pacific Wind.

Jack Christopher. The morning-line favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile got hurt before he could race at Del Mar, undergoing surgery last fall to repair a stress fracture in his left shin. Now 3, the Munnings colt who won the Champagne Stakes (G1) last October at Belmont Park has been working regularly in Florida since late February. “If things go well,” Brown said, “he could show up in the Pat Day Mile (G2).” That one-turn, Grade 2 race May 7 for 3-year-olds at Churchill also precedes the Derby, for which Jack Christopher could have been favored had he not been hurt.

“There’s no easy spot to bring a Champagne winner back,” Brown said. “It’s not like you’re going to find the perfect race, because he’s already won a couple races in a row. I don’t want a really hard race for him his first race back. I think the distance and the timing works for us, so it’s under consideration.”