Brown Gets Fifth Straight Belmont Spring/Summer Title
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Chad Brown and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. after Instilled Regard won the Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park
Chad Brown notched 23 wins to finish as the leading trainer at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet for the fifth consecutive time, and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. posted 34 victories to lead all riders as the 25-day meet concluded July 12. The meet began June 3.
Klaravich Stables led all owners with 13 wins.
Brown had a 23-19-8 record in 95 starts at the meet. Christophe Clement ranked second with 14 wins.
The spring/summer meet marked the return of professional sports in New York and the return of live racing for the New York Racing Association, which temporarily suspended racing in March because of COVID-19.
"I'm really proud of our team. We had a late start to the year, and it was frustrating for everybody—the staff, the owners, everybody involved," Brown said. "Our team held it together. We had to change plans with several horses. We had to change plans with living arrangements for people on our team. Everyone had to make sacrifices and alter their life—and that's not just our stable, that's other stables, racetrack management, and all around in other industries."
Brown trainees Instilled Regard and Newspaperofrecord each won two graded stakes during the meet. Rushing Fall won another.
Ortiz was the leading rider for the second time in the past three spring/summer meets, compiling a 34-23-13 record in 128 mounts and winning at a 27% clip. He teamed with Brown for four of his five graded victories.
"It's good. I've been working so hard, and we've had support from everyone," Ortiz said. "Instilled Regard and 'Newspaper' and Firenze Fire (for trainer Kelly Breen) were all good wins. We're just looking to keep going and keep moving forward in Saratoga."
Klaravich Stables, headed by Seth Klarman, had a 13-6-5 record with 32 starters, winning at a 41% rate and racking up $826,8855 in earnings.