Regal Glory Tops Brown Duo in Intercontinental Stakes

Trainer Chad Brown knows how to go the distance in the $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes (G3T), having saddled three of its seven winners, including the first four home last year. He returns with a potent pair June 3 at Belmont Park in the seven-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares, including last year's runner-up, Regal Glory , and an intriguing upstart, Publication .

Peter Brant's Regal Glory parlayed last year's Intercontinental to a fourth-place finish in the Just a Game (G1T), a race on the June 5 card she is cross entered in, before capping her season with a gritty victory in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T)—both over one mile. Shortening to seven panels on the Widener course may be a welcome change for the 5-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom , as she is 2-for-3 in sprints, with her lone loss being last year's Intercontinental. 

Additionally, the likelihood of some give in the ground Thursday will be advantageous, as six of her seven wins (from 12 starts) were over wet turf, including the Plenty of Grace Stakes April 11 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"Regal Glory is doing super and she knows this race well," Brown said. "With the forecast the way it is, and as you can see in her past performances, she handles soft ground very well. It could end up working out for her."

Juddmonte's Publication is a lightly raced blueblood by Tapit   out of grade 2 winner Filimbi . The Intercontinental will be the 4-year-old's fourth career start, but first without a layoff, as she was an allowance winner April 24 at Aqueduct. Last July, she broke her maiden over the Intercontinental course and distance.

"We've thought a lot of Publication since the beginning," Brown said. "Unfortunately, she's had a lot of interruptions in her development, but she's doing really well right now. She's a fiery filly with a lot of Tapit in her in a good way and is very forward in her training."

Shipping in for the capable Florida-based barn of Saffie Joseph Jr. is Joseph Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye . The 6-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa   is seeking her ninth career victory and exiting a 2 1/2-length win in the Sand Springs Stakes March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

"She's a grand mare," Joseph said. "She came to us with a proven résumé. She ran two races for us already. Her first race she ran second with a credible effort and the second race (the Sand Springs) she won well. I thought she improved a bit last out and ran close to her top numbers that day. I feel like she's sitting on a good race.

"We were in-between two minds of going to the Intercontinental or the Just a Game, but I think we're going into the Intercontinental as the first or second choice," Joseph continued. "It would be a really nice race to win."

The field also includes Change of Control , winner of the Giant's Causeway Stakes April 10 at Keeneland and second beaten less than a length 19 days later in the Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs, and stakes winners I'llhandalthecash , Madeleine Must , and Piedi Bianchi . Subsidiary and Aunt Kat have been entered for the main track only.

Entries: Intercontinental S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Thursday, June 03, 2021, Race 6

• Grade IIIT
• 7f
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Publication (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Chad C. Brown	10/1
2	2Sweet Bye and Bye (PA)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	2/1
3	3Subsidiary (ON)	Luis A. Rodriguez Castro	118	Orlando Noda	8/1
4	4Change of Control (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	122	Michelle Lovell	7/2
5	5Madeleine Must (FR)	Joel Rosario	118	Christophe Clement	10/1
6	6Piedi Bianchi (IN)	Manuel Franco	122	Carlos F. Martin	20/1
7	7I'llhandalthecash (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Michael J. Maker	20/1
8	8Regal Glory (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Chad C. Brown	6/5
9	9Aunt Kat (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	William I. Mott	9/5