Brown not interested in running Timeline in Belmont Stakes

Woodford Racing's Timeline was in fine fettle after his victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, said trainer Chad Brown at his barn at Belmont Park on Sunday morning.

Brown was pleased with the way Timeline ran in his first graded stakes start, and only his third overall, and is carefully considering the 3-year-old Hard Spun colt's next target.

"I thought the horse ran very well and I was impressed," Brown said. "He made a couple of different runs in the race and still got there. It was a really good performance."

While the Peter Pan has traditionally been the local gateway to the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 10, Brown said he is looking at other options where the distance would be more favorable. 

"I'm not interested in running the horse in the Belmont; he doesn't strike me as a mile-and-a-half horse," he added. "The Haskell [at Monmouth Park] is a race we have on our radar. He'll run one time between now and then, I'm just not sure exactly which race."

Brown said possible races before the Grade 1 Haskell could be the Easy Goer on June 10, the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 8 or the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth on June 18. He noted that the Pegasus makes the most sense because of its timing and the opportunity for Timeline to run on the track and gain familiarity with two turns before running in the Haskell on July 30.

Brown's other Peter Pan entrant, John D. Gunther's homebred Take Your Guns, who was fourth in his stakes debut, came out of the race in good order as well. Brown said he would look to regroup with the Blame colt as he may not have liked yesterday's sloppy condition on the main track but is still tentatively targeting the Belmont.

"He's a horse I wouldn't rule out of the Belmont," he said. "It was kind of a neutral race for him. We were disappointed. The horse finished fourth and got beat seven lengths, but I don't really know how to gauge it. The first two runners went around the track and it was hard to make up ground. Joel [Rosario] said he didn't really care for the surface. He kind of ran even and he was trying. 

"He's always struck me as a mile-and-a-half horse," he added. "It may come too soon in his career on only his fourth start, however I don't want to take him out of consideration either until we see what happens in the Preakness and see how the horse is training."

Dacita, who finished strong to run a very game second in Saturday's Grade 3 Beaugay on the yielding turf, was encouraging to see, Brown said, as the 6-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy goes forward with her 2017 campaign. 

"I'm not surprised she gave it 100 percent, because she always does for us," said Brown. "She nearly won it despite it not being her best ground and maybe the race playing against her pace-wise. She did everything but win. I was pleased with her."

Stablemate Rahina Da Bateria, who encountered a troubled trip to finish fourth, also came out of the race in good order, he said.

"I thought she showed up too, she just didn't have any running room," said Brown. "Both horses came out of the race well and hopefully that will start a successful campaign for both of them."

Brown added that Dacita, who won last year's Grade 2 New York, could be entered for a repeat bid for the $500,000 turf race at 1 ¼ miles on June 9. Rainha Da Bateria is unlikely for the New York after finishing fifth in her only previous start at the distance in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor last October.

Wake Forest, who finished a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Man o' War, could possibly remain on target for the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Reserve Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day.

"He just didn't handle the conditions," he said. "The winner was truly impressive and it may have not mattered, but he's a firm ground horse. I may bring him right back in the Manhattan and draw a line through this last race if the conditions are right."

Cloud Computing emerged from his Saturday breeze at Belmont Park in good condition ahead of his bid in the the Grade 1 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland on May 20, Brown reported.

"He came out of it really well and he's going to head to Pimlico on Tuesday and just gallop a little and do some paddock schooling heading into the race," he said.

Cloud Computing, who was third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial last out on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack, went four furlongs in 48.85 seconds in his fifth official workout on the Belmont training track since the Wood. 

Lastly, Brown commented that he was narrowing down options of where to run multiple graded stakes winner Lady Eli next, following her second-place finish in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.

"She's doing really well and is probable for the Gamely at Santa Anita," added Brown. "The timing, and looking for firm ground, and the way the schedule is. She's run at Santa Anita twice with two outstanding performances, so we know she's good on that turf course."

Source: NYRA Communications