Brown Enters Life Imitates Art, Ray's the Bar in Dania Beach

Trainer Chad Brown, always a force in turf stakes races, will have a pair of leading contenders in the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday when he saddles Life Imitates Art and Ray’s The Bar.

 

Ray’s The Bar, a son of Exceed and Excel, was purchased privately following his debut success at Ascot in July. In his first start for the partnership of Head of Plains and Vintage Thoroughbreds, the British import was narrowly edged by Isotherm in the $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G3) at Belmont on September 26.

 

Sent off at 8-1 in the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on October 30 over a yielding Keeneland course, Ray’s The Bar was forced to steady at the quarter-pole and wound up 11th, beaten 8 1/2 lengths behind Irish raider Hit It a Bomb. Leading rider Javier Castellano has ridden Ray’s The Bar in each of his starts on these shores and will be in the irons once more in the Dania Beach, where they will start from post nine.

 

“He had a bit of a rough trip, but I really think he just didn’t like the ground that day, so we’re just going to draw a line through that race,” Brown said. “He came out of the race in good shape and he’s really been training well at Palm Meadows. We’re looking forward to getting him back on track. I don’t need to give Javier any instructions, he’ll just run where he’s comfortable.”

 

The consistent Life Imitates Art has been involved in photo finishes in each of his last three starts. After finishing second by a neck to fellow Dania Beach rival Isotherm at Saratoga on August 22, the son of More Than Ready came up a nose short in a Belmont Park maiden on October 18, but was awarded the race by the stewards. He was most recently second by a neck in the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park West on November 28 after breaking from the 14 hole.

 

“Despite starting from an impossible post position, the jockey (Aaron Gryder) gave him an excellent ride and he nearly got it done,” Brown said. “If he puts in a similar effort on Saturday, he can be right there.”

 

A $175,000 yearling purchase by Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence, Life Imitates Art will be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario when he breaks from post four in the Dania Beach. 

 

Isotherm will return to greener pastures in the 7 1/2-furlong Dania Beach. Owned by Matthew Schera, he is perfect in two turf starts, while finishing off the board in a pair of dirt outings. The son of the Australian stallion Lonhro showed some early foot while wide in his career debut on the dirt at Saratoga on August 1 on his way to a fourth-place finish. Isotherm was a hard-fought winner when switched to the grass at Saratoga three weeks later, and showed a new dimension next out in the Pilgrim, when he came from way out of it to prevail in a blanket finish. His connections thought highly enough of him to put him back on the main track for the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, but Isotherm was bumped early that afternoon and faded to finish 13th behind divisional champion Nyquist. Jockey Luis Saez will be aboard for the first time in the Dania Beach, where Isotherm drew the rail.

 

To Isotherm’s immediate outside is Mountain Music Man, who captured his first two starts for owners Robert and Lawana Low and trainer Todd Pletcher. The $450,000 juvenile had the lead late in the Pulpit Stakes before settling for third. Jockey John Velazquez will have the mount for the Dania Beach. 

 

Urban Bourbon, a maiden winner over the Dania Beach course and distance on December 12, will tackle stakes company for the first time on Saturday. Owned by Bourbon Lane Stable and trained by Eddie Kenneally, the son of City Zip will be piloted once again by Corey Lanerie.