Saratoga: 4 for Brown go against 1 other in Ballston Spa

The Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa often features a strong contingent for four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown, and this year’s running is no different as the veteran trainer sends out four of the five main entrants for Thursday’s 1 1/16-mile turf route for older fillies and mares at Saratoga.

Brown boasts seven wins in this event, including with Zagora in 2012, Dacita in 2015, Lady Eli in 2017, Quidura in 2018, Significant Form in 2019, Viadera in 2021 and Technical Analysis in 2022.

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Beauté Cachée leads the charge this year for Brown. Owned by Louis Lazzinnaro, Madaket Stables, Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb, the dual graded-stakes winner drew post 4 with Frankie Dettori. She arrives from a determined, neck score over Sacred Wish in the Matchmaker (G3) on July 20 at Monmouth Park. There she led at each point of call and gamely turned back the challenge of Sacred Wish to earn the second graded win of her career.

Beauté Cachée worked a half-mile in 50.0 seconds over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track Thursday in her final preparation for the Ballston Spa.

“She’s really doing well. I’m proud of her. She’s just come off of a super work here, and I’m really pleased with how she’s developed this year,” Brown said. “She’s showed a new dimension this year with her speed.”

The 5-year-old Literato gray notched the biggest victory of her career in April in the Jenny Wiley (G1) at Keeneland, where she crossed the wire a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths ahead of English Rose with subsequent Grade 1 winner Didia finishing third. The effort garnered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, and followed a good third in her American Grade 1 debut in the Matriarch in December at Santa Anita.

Previously trained by Gaël Barbedette in her native France, Beauté Cachée has been a model of consistency since joining Brown in May 2023, hitting the board in 7 of 8 starts. She was bred in France by Gregor Vischer and has banked $726,962.

Consistency is a common factor among the Brown contenders and also describes up-and-coming Delahaye, in post 3 with Tyler Gaffalione. She holds a record of 7: 4-1-2 since debuting in February 2023 at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by William Lawrence and Three Chimneys Farm, the Medaglia d’Oro dark bay was last seen finishing third to Beauté Cachée in the Matchmaker but was a convincing 1 3/4-length winner of the Mint Julep (G3) two starts back in June at Churchill Downs. The effort was awarded a 92 Beyer, which was sandwiched by 93 figures received for a game third in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) in May and her Matchmaker effort.

“We were patient waiting for this race. We’ve picked our spots with her,” Brown said. “She may have been compromised a little bit on the pace last time, but she’s a very consistent horse for us, and we’ve always thought a lot of her.”

The 4-year-old filly who never has been beaten by more than two lengths was a $550,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale. She is out of the unraced War Front mare Bella Carina, a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winners Valid and Malibu Prayer.

Dual Grade 1 winner Gina Romantica, in post 5 with Flavien Prat, appeared to tail off in form this spring after a close fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Santa Anita. She flashed her brilliance once again last out when a rallying third to just miss in the Diana (G1) on July 13 at Saratoga.

“I was very pleased with her Diana effort. She seems to be running back into form,” Brown said. “Looking at her last couple of years of racing, it seems like she may be a second-half-of-the-year type of filly, and this is the time of year she’s at her best.”

Owned by Peter Brant, the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief was a restricted-stakes winner in the summer of her sophomore campaign and broke through in a big way when winning her Grade 1 debut that fall in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. She returned to good form again last year with a win in the First Lady (G1) in October in August at Keeneland and a solid second in the Beverly D. (G1) in August at Colonial Downs to go along with her good showing at the Breeders’ Cup when defeated by just one length going up against males.

The bay mare returned in April to contest the Jenny Wiley but fell flat as she finished seventh, 7 1/4 lengths behind Beauté Cachée. She finished a much closer fifth in the Just a Game (G1) in June at Saratoga before rebounding to rally late for show honors three-quarters of a length behind stablemate Whitebeam in the Diana.

Coppice, in post 2 with Irad Ortiz Jr., completes the trio of Brown entrants. The Great Britain-based Juddmonte homebred was last seen finishing a close fifth in the Diana 1 3/4 lengths behind Whitebeam. The often deep-closing Kingman 4-year-old has made three starts for Brown since moving from the yard of John and Thady Gosden. The best of them was in May when she was a narrowly beaten second in Churchill’s Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at first asking for Brown when she was a neck in back of stablemate Chili Flag.

“She’s training really well. Her first start in the country was outstanding. She narrowly lost to an eventual Grade 1 winner in Chili Flag,” Brown said. “The last couple of races have been a little frustrating. Not the greatest of trips, not terrible, but maybe not the setups she wants. She’s a bit of a temperamental horse, but in the mornings she’s training like she has a big race in her at some point in time. We’ll see if we can get her across the finish line here and get going.”

Coppice earned her lone stakes victory in September at Newmarket, England, where she annexed the one-mile Rosemary by a half-length taking on elders as a sophomore. She is out of the Observatory mare Helleborine and is a full sister to dual group winner and promising young Ireland stallion Calyx.

Grade 3 winner Surprisingly, in post 1 with José Ortiz, completes the field. Owned by Repole Stable and trained by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old Mastery bay will look to upset the Brown contenders off an even fourth in the Matchmaker when she finished one length in back of Beauté Cachée. Her two best finishes this year came with a neck defeat to Didia in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G2) in January at Gulfstream and another close second in the Orchid (G3) in March over the same oval.

Hoosier Philly, Movie Moxy and Amanda’s Folly were entered for the main track only.

The Ballston Spa is slated as race 2 at 1:44 p.m. EDT on Thursday’s 10-race program.