Brown's Milestone Day Includes Hall of Fame Win

It was a milestone day at historic Saratoga Race Course, which made perfect sense.

After all, it was Aug. 6, the day 10 people were inducted into the sport's repository of milestones, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, across the street from the famed racetrack.  

So, about 15 minutes after Steve Asmussen stood in the Spa clubhouse and watched Shanghai's Dream  win the sixth race at Ellis Park for his 9,445th career win to match Dale Baird's all-time record for a North American trainer, Chad Brown drew this close to a milestone of his own.

When Klaravich Stables' Public Sector  took charge in the stretch and won the $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-olds, it gave the four-time Eclipse Award winner the 1,999th victory of his career and put him in position to reach the 2,000 mark in the final race of the day at the Spa.

Three races later, Digital Software  did his part, winning the 10th race and providing Brown with that milestone 2,000th win.

In the 10th at Saratoga, Digital Software gives Chad Brown his 2,000th career training win pic.twitter.com/kHusz8EB7n

— Mike MacAdam (@Mike_MacAdam) August 6, 2021

"Yeah, there's a lot going on today, with Steve Asmussen and (2021 Hall of Fame inductee) Todd Pletcher, two of the greatest trainers of all-time. Hopefully we get a blurb at the bottom of today about getting 2,000," said Brown, who brought a good luck charm to the races in his daughter Andi. "Those two guys deserve all of the attention today. They've had remarkable careers and they are still going strong."

As is Brown, who is surely on the path to one day join Asmussen, Pletcher, and Friday's 2020 inductee, trainer Mark Casse, in the Hall of Fame.

And if that happens, probably in 2032 after a 25-year wait, the connections behind win numbers 1,999 and 2,000 will play a large role in it.

Both Public Spector and Digital Software are owned by Seth Klarman of Klaravich Stables, who over the years has filled Brown's barn with the likes of Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar , Newspaperofrecord , Domestic Spending , Practical Joke  , and Cloud Computing  .

"Chad is such an amazing guy; It's great being a part of his milestone," Klarman said.

In Public Sector, Brown and Klarman have a continually improving 3-year-old, whose only weak effort came in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T) when he finished 12th but exited the race with a valid excuse.

"He came out of that race very sick and it took a while to get him back," Brown said. 

There was no need for an excuse Friday as Public Sector, a son of Kingman , posted his third win in seven starts and notched his initial graded stakes win.

Out of the Montjeu  mare Parle Moi , he was purchased by agent Mike Ryan on behalf of Klaravich for $217,823 from the Clearwater Stud consignment at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Bred by The Kathryn Stud, he is the first of his dam's three foals to race to claim a stakes win. Her latest offspring is a yearling colt by Golden Horn .

Public Sector and jockey Flavien Prat were fourth in the early stages Friday as Next  set the early fractions of :23.91 and :47.56 with Wolfie's Dynaghost  chasing. Rallying along the rail in the stretch as the early leaders tired, the 4-5 favorite ($3.80) surged to the front leaving the eighth pole and drew clear to cover the mile on firm turf in 1:35.03.

"I'm thrilled with the way he ran," Klarman said. "I thought we had a big chance and so did the public."

While Public Sector was able to save ground, Annex , who was sixth in the field of seven after a half-mile, was forced to rally five wide on the final turn. The son of Constitution   trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for LNJ Foxwoods and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners was on even terms with Public Sector in midstretch, but was outkicked to the wire by the winner while finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of Calumet Farm's In Effect , a Calumet homebred son of Dialed In   trained by Jack Sisterson.

There was a stewards' inquiry into the stretch run as Original  clipped heels, stumbled, and was pulled up when Annex went by him but there was no change in the order of finish.

Brown said the Sept. 4 Saranac Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/16 miles could be next for winner No. 1,999.

"It was another great ride by Flavien and a great performance by Public Sector," Brown said. 

Video: National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2T)