Brown Enjoys Big Day on Super Saturday
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Trainer Chad Brown had a big day on Super Saturday at Belmont Park, taking the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl Invitational for the second straight year with Stephanie's Kitten and capturing the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince with Takeover Target.
Stephanie's Kitten's win in the Flower Bowl was the completion of a form reversal that started with an encouraging second-place finish in the Grade 1 Beverly D. The multiple Grade 1 winner had seemingly lost a step earlier in 2015 - finishing fourth in the Grade 2 New York and fifth in the Grade 1 Diana - but continued to progresson Saturday, working out a perfect trip under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and edging away to a 1 ½-length victory over her stablemate Danza Cavallo.
"I thought she ran a flawless race yesterday. She got a good trip and she delivered," said Brown, who trains Stephanie's Kitten for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
A 6-year-old daughter of Kitten's Joy, Stephanie's Kitten relished the soft going in the Flower Bowl. With her likely next assignment coming in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland at the end of the month, Brown was cautiously optimistic that his star filly would get another opportunity to run on a course with some give to it.
"We have a better than average chance to get some moisture in the turf," said Brown. "She did run terrific at Santa Anita last year [finishing second] but it rained the night before. I'm not going to say it's an advantage because her record on the turf at Keeneland hasn't been good up to this point, but from a precipitation standpoint, it might give her a different type of turf at Keeneland that she hasn't seen before, which gives us some hope."
Brown reported that Flower Bowl runner-up Danza Cavallo emerged in good shape. The 4-year-old daughter of Sunday Break, who turned in a strong performance after being a late addition to the field, will likely not join Stephanie's Kitten at the Breeders' Cup, according to Brown.
"My first inclination is no," Brown said of a trip to the Breeders' Cup. "I'll probably just keep her local and target a race like the Long Island, which she almost won last year, and then give her a much deserved break. I'll see how she comes out of the race physically and how she trains and speak to the ownership group."
Bouncing back from a puzzling sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Saranac on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course, Takeover Target put away a talented group in the Hill Prince with ease, drawing off to win by 1 ¾ lengths over an obstinate Vision Perfect. Like Danza Cavallo, his next start remains up in the air, though he will not join Brown's Breeders' Cup contingent, according to his trainer.
"He ran terrific," said Brown. "I don't have any immediate plans for him but he's not under consideration for any Breeders' Cup races. He's a real solid horse and has won a couple big races this year. I'm not sure when or where his next race will be."
Source: NYRA Communications
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