Saratoga: See Chad Brown's trio in Forbidden Apple

Value Proposition, one of three entrants for trainer Chad Brown, leads a talented field of 10 assembled for Friday’s seventh running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Forbidden Apple at Saratoga Race Course.

In addition to Value Proposition, the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner will saddle Sacred Life and Delaware in search of a first win in the one-mile inner turf test for older horses.

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Value Proposition, owned by Klaravich Stables, matched a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out, winning a one-mile optional-claiming event on the Belmont turf. That effort followed a close third in his seasonal debut in the seven-furlong Elusive Quality on April 24 at Belmont.

The 5-year-old Dansili ridgling made two attempts in graded company last year, finishing third in the Grade 3 Poker (G3) in July at Belmont and eighth in the Woodbine Mile (G1) in September.

Brown said he is expecting a strong effort from Value Proposition.

“He’s had a few breaks in his form, but I feel that he’s really matured mentally,” said Brown. “Early on, he was a bit difficult to get to focus on his job. He now appears to be much more focused and confident in his works and in his last race.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. will pilot Value Proposition from post 3.

Sacred Life (post 9, Joel Rosario) enters from a rallying fourth as the beaten favorite in the Dinner Party (G2) on May 15 at Pimlico.

The 6-year-old French-bred son of Siyouni made a pair of starts in 2019 at Saratoga, completing the exacta in both the Lure and Bernard Baruch (G2). The talented bay captured the 2017 Prix Thomas Bryon (G3) at Saint-Cloud.

Delaware (post 7, Jose Ortiz) will make his Saratoga debut in his 20th career start. The 5-year-old Frankel bay, a Group 3 winner in France, captured the Danger’s Hour in April at Aqueduct ahead of a fourth last out in the Seek Again on May 22 at Belmont.

Grade 1-placed Corelli enters from a closing third in the nine-furlong Monmouth (G3), contested over good going on June 5.

The 6-year-old Point of Entry gelding ran third in last year’s 11-furlong United Nations (G1) at Monmouth ahead of a distant fifth in the 12-furlong Sword Dancer (G1) over soft going at Saratoga.

A winner of the 1 1/16-mile Henry S. Clark at Pimlico in April in his seasonal debut, Corelli will turn back to one mile for the first time in his 16-race career.

“I thought his best race on paper was the mile and a sixteenth race because he had some pace to run into,” said Thomas. “I don't know that he's a real mile and three-eighths horse. He may, ideally, be a mile and an eighth horse. He does seem to like to come with a run. so what we're hoping for is to get a real pace to close into.”

Thomas said he will continue to seek out opportunities up to nine furlongs for the bay gelding.

“He ran well going a mile and three-eighths last year, but he was getting weaker as the race went on, not stronger,” said Thomas. “So, the turnback seems to suit him a little bit.”

Corelli will exit post 2 under Manny Franco.

Rinaldi has proven to be a horse-for-course at Saratoga with three wins from four attempts, including scores in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid and NYSSS Cab Calloway in 2019 and the West Point for state-breds in September. His lone losing effort came with a strong fourth in the Saranac (G3) in August.

The 5-year-old Posse gelding, bred in the Empire State by Barry Ostrager, was a pace-setting second in the one-mile Danger’s Hour in his seasonal debut in April at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Luis Saez will have the call from the inside post.

Calumet Farm’s well-bred Flying Scotsman, a 5-year-old English Channel chestnut, will look to get back to winning ways after off-the-board efforts in his last three starts for trainer Jack Sisterson.

Out of the French Deputy mare Padmore, Flying Scotsman is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Leigh Court and 11-time winning stablemate Bon Raison. A four-time winner from 14 starts, Flying Scotsman finished sixth last out, defeated just 2 1/4-lengths, in the Dinner Party (G2) at Pimlico.

Flying Scotsman captured the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille (G3) for Hall of Fame conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer and won the 2019 Woodchopper at Fair Grounds in his third start for Sisterson.

Ricardo Santana Jr. will pilot Flying Scotsman from post 6.