Brown Makes Florida Stakes Plans

Trainer Chad Brown nominated two horses for the $150,000 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream on Feb. 9, but he’ll likely just run one, Kya One.  The 5-year-old French-bred turf mare captured the My Charmer (G3) at Calder on Nov. 22.

“She’s been doing well. I’ve been just looking around for a race with a suitable distance for her. A mile and an eighth seems to be the minimum where I want to run her,” Brown said.

The daughter of One Cool Cat finished fifth in the one-mile Noble Damsel (G3) in her U.S. debut at Belmont in September before capturing the 1 1/8-mile My Charmer.

Brown’s other nominee for the 1 1/8-mile Suwannee River, Dealbata has been entered in Saturday’s Endeavor (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.

“I’m probably 50-50 to run. If I don’t run her there, I could end up running her in the Suwannee River, too,” Brown said. “She’s a little behind in her training, but she’s doing really well.”

Brown reported that Noble Tune and Balance the Books, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) last time out, are working well for their 2013 debuts.

“I’m most likely going to point Balance the Books to the Palm Beach, and Noble Tune, I’m not sure where I’m going to run him yet,” said Brown, whose turf colts have both worked three times thus far.

The Palm Beach (G3), a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, will be run on March 3.

Big Blue Kitten, who finished third in the Fort Lauderdale (G2) last time out, won’t return in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1), in which 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Point of Entry and Hollywood Derby (G1) victor Unbridled Command are expected to clash on Feb. 9.

“He’ll sit out the next one at Gulfstream. It’s come up pretty tough. We’ll look for something else for him,” Brown said.