Brown Pleased With Lewis Bay, My Man Sam
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With a bevy of runners in yesterday's stakes races from Aqueduct and Keeneland, trainer Chad Brown ended the day pleased with winning performances from
Lewis Bay in the Grade 2 Gazelle at the Big A alongside a second-place finish at Keeneland with
My Man Sam in the Grade 1 Bluegrass Stakes. He also looked to regroup with Wood Memorial entrants
Shagaf and
Flexibility who finished in fifth and seventh-place respectively.
Making only her fifth lifetime start in the Gazelle and third consecutive graded stakes race coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream, Brown remains satisfied with Lewis Bay's development as she remains on target pointing for the Kentucky Oaks.
"I thought she ran terrific, she's been a real consistent and honest horse," said Brown. "She's developed nicely and I thought her race yesterday was great. After she won the [Grade 2] Demoiselle, we set a plan to run in the [Grade 1] Davona Dale then the Gazelle and we hit both marks. So far she looks good coming out of the race and if she remains healthy and does fine this week she'll ship to Churchill on the 19th."
Virtually locking a spot in the Derby starting gate after accumulating 40 Kentucky Derby qualifying points with his performance in the Bluegrass, Sheep Pond Partner's promising colt My Man Sam has earned his way there as long as he remains healthy according to Brown.
"I thought he ran great considering that difficult post position," Brown said. "He finished strong and got up for second and earned enough points if we want to run in the Derby, which we do, so if he comes out of the race okay which so far he has he'll also move over to Churchill on the 19th and have two workouts over the track."
Lastly, Brown commented on Shadwell Stable's Shagaf, who entered the gate in yesterday's G1 Wood as the 9-5 post-time favorite only to finish a disappointing fifth over the muddy and sealed track while Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawerence's Flexiblity would be taken off the Derby trail in another direction following his seventh-place finish.
"Shagaf didn't really appear to handle the track as well," said Brown. "He made a good move into the turn, he ran up into a wall of horses and he had to pause. When he tried to re-rally again he was very one paced and tired and encountered a lot of mud and kickback. Irad said the track wasn't just for him. So far he looks good this morning. If he has a good week, he'll go to Churchill on the 19th as well."
"Flexibility was disappointing, Manny Franco said down the backside he wouldn't handle the inner of the track. He was off the bridle by the midway marker and he had no horse under him at all. We'll regroup with him but for now he's off the Derby trail."
Source: NYRA Communications
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