Brown Works Risk Taking, Crowded Trade for Preakness

Klaravich Stables' duo of Crowded Trade  and Risk Taking  breezed together May 8 at Belmont Park, while Whisper Hill Farm's Unbridled Honor  worked in company with an older stablemate at the New York track as the three sophomores prepare for the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

The Chad Brown-trained Risk Taking worked outside of stablemate Crowded Trade through five furlongs on the fast main track at 8:45 a.m. ET. The pair finished together at the wire to share a time of 1:01.76.

"I thought they breezed super. It was just what I wanted," said Brown, who captured the 2017 Preakness with Klaravich and William Lawrence's Cloud Computing  . "I got them in 1:01 and even out (six furlongs) in 1:13 and change. I was real happy with it."

Risk Taking captured the Withers Stakes (G3) in February at Aqueduct Racetrack. He failed to fire when seventh as the favorite in the April 3 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2), also at Aqueduct. Both races were at 1 1/8 miles, the same distance he broke his maiden at in December in New York.

Brown said the opportunity to run two turns was a key factor in Risk Taking being scratched from Saturday's Peter Pan Stakes (G3), a 1 1/8-mile race around one turn at Belmont Park.

"It was a huge factor along with the distance of the race," said Brown. "I think the longer the better for him. Both of his wins are around two turns and I didn't want to change anything."

Brown said he is hoping the lackluster effort last out was due to kickback from a heavy Aqueduct main track. 

"It was a heavy dirt that day. He really resented it and I'm hoping that's why he ran uncharacteristically poor," said Brown. 

The trainer is buoyed by how Risk Taking has come out of the Wood Memorial.

"His last two works were the best we've seen," said Brown.

Crowded Trade has made all three career starts at Aqueduct. He won on debut in January sprinting six furlongs and followed with a nose loss to Weyburn  in the March 6 Gotham Stakes (G3) traveling a one-turn mile. Last out, he was eighth at the half-mile call in the Wood Memorial and closed to finish third behind Bourbonic  and Dynamic One , neither of whom contended in the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Brown said he expects Crowded Trade to be more prominent in the Preakness.

"He just broke bad," said Brown regarding the Wood Memorial. "He didn't get away good and lost position early. Hopefully, he gets out of the gate better this time."

Brown said the lightly-raced Crowded Trade has every right to improve next Saturday.

"He's only raced three times. He's run three really credible races and he's going in the right direction," said Brown. "He's had six weeks between races and I could see him running a really big race on Saturday."

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride Crowded Trade in the Preakness, while Jose Ortiz has the call on Risk Taking.

Brown trainees will also be a factor on the Preakness undercard as Kuramata  and Sacred Life  will ship to Pimlico for the Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) and Great Island  and Flighty Lady  for the Gallorette Stakes (G3T).

Todd Pletcher-trained Unbridled Honor was piloted by exercise rider Amelia Green as he worked outside of WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) winner Fearless , who was under exercise rider Hector Ramos. The pair covered a half-mile in :49.75 at 9:30 a.m. on Belmont's dirt training track. Belmont Park publicity reported the two galloping out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5. Fearless opened up some distance on Unbridled Honor during an extended gallop out.

Preakness bound Unbridled Honor [outside] worked in company this morning with older GSW Fearless in 49.75 on the Belmont training track. Quotes & more on this & the in company work of Crowded Trade & Risk Taking here: https://t.co/YXEh2yM6Cm pic.twitter.com/63cvkZjpKT

— Keith-TripleDeadHeat (@TripleDeadHeat) May 8, 2021

"I thought both horses worked well to the wire," said Pletcher. "Fearless was particularly strong on the gallop out and I thought Unbridled Honor did well. I was happy with both of them." 

Unbridled Honor rallied from last of nine to finish second last out in the April 10 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) racing 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy track at Keeneland.

"We weren't really thinking (Kentucky) Derby at that time. We were hoping for a good performance, which we got," said Pletcher. "He finished up well and he continues to improve with each start. He had a good pace to run at that day. Hopefully, it will be a contested pace at Pimlico."

Luis Saez will have the call aboard Unbridled Honor in the Preakness and Pletcher said he expects another closing run.

"I think that's his running style so we'll hope for a good, solid pace up front and come with a late run," said Pletcher. "A wet track wouldn't be a problem."

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Fearless, second last out in the April 17 Oaklawn Handicap (G2), is pointed to the May 14 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3). Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.

Rombauer Tunes Up at Santa Anita

Meanwhile at Santa Anita Park, John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer  breezed five furlongs Saturday in :59 4/5. Winner of the Feb. 13 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, he was a last-out third in the April 3 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, after which his connections opted to pass the Derby to await the Preakness. Flavien Prat will be aboard in the Preakness for trainer Michael McCarthy. 

"He worked in company, settled in a length behind the other horse, passed him coming to the eighth pole, and went on about his business," McCarthy said.

Rombauer is scheduled to ship from California to Baltimore, Md., May 11.

Others pointing for the race include Derby winner Medina Spirit , Keepmeinmind , Midnight Bourbon , France Go de Ina, Concert Tour , and Ram .

Pimlico officials reported that Japanese invader France Go de Ina arrived at the Maryland track Saturday night after quarantining in Los Angeles.

Christina Baker and Bill Mack's Ram, an anticipated longshot, could give Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas a record-tying seventh Preakness Stakes victory—which would put him on even terms with Bob Baffert and 19th century Mid-Atlantic training icon Robert Wyndham Walden as the winningest Preakness trainers. Lukas' first Preakness came in 1980 with his first Triple Crown starter, Codex. His last came in 2013 with Oxbow  .

Lukas said he and Mack made the decision to run Ram in the Preakness during a phone conversation the evening of May 7. Ram won his second straight race while taking a mile allowance race on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. Ricardo Santana Jr. picks up the mount. 

"We realize he has to step forward to be effective," Lukas said Saturday morning after Ram trained at Churchill Downs. "But when these horses are doing well, sometimes they'll step up and do what you want them to do. I always thought this horse had potential."