Brown Barn Relishes Grade 1 Success at Keeneland

It may have been a different week, but the upbeat sounds of success still reverberated at the Chad Brown barn.

Shantisara  and Technical Analysis  provided the barn with its second consecutive grade 1 exacta sweep at Keeneland with their 1-2 finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana (G1T) Oct. 16.

"Those are two nice fillies, and they are in good shape this morning," said Baldo Hernandez, who is overseeing the Brown string at Keeneland. "They may be going back to New York tomorrow."

Shantisara, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Robert LaPenta, surged to a record-setting five-length victory over Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis.

The previous week, the Brown-trained duo of Blowout  and Regal Glory  ran 1-2 in the First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) for owner Peter Brant.

Hernandez said Blowout and Regal Glory also would head back to New York with the QE II runners.

Flavien Prat rode both grade 1 winners with Jose Ortiz finishing second in both races.

Trainer Brad Cox was pleased with the third-place effort of Michael De Broglio's Burning Ambition  in the filly's graded stakes debut.

"I have no idea what I am going to do with her next since there is obviously no turf racing in Kentucky for a while," Cox said. "Possibly the American Oaks."

The $300,000 American Oaks (G1T), run over 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita Park, is Dec. 26.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and TOLO Thoroughbreds' Queen Goddess , who finished fifth in her stakes debut, will train at Churchill Downs the next couple of weeks and then ship to California, trainer Michael McCarthy told Keeneland media via text.

Harris Farms' Closing Remarks , sixth on Saturday, was scheduled to return to trainer Carla Gaines' Santa Anita base on Tuesday.

James Wigan's Cloudy Dawn , seventh in her U.S. debut for trainer William Haggas, was scheduled to ship back to Europe on Monday, according to head lad Suraj Bissessur.

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Flippant  is scheduled for a two- to three-month break following her eighth-place finish, according to Phil Oliver, husband of trainer Vicki Oliver.

Leaving for Europe Sunday was Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Empress Josephine , who finished last of nine as the favorite.

"The lack of cover early in the race didn't help her," said Kieran Murphy, who has overseen the filly's training at Keeneland for Aidan O'Brien. "It was tough to come back that quick from what was a tough race last week for her (in the First Lady in which she was third)."

Murphy also said Katsumi Yoshida's Nicest , who finished fourth for trainer Donnacha O'Brien, would not be leaving Sunday with plans to be determined.

Charles Fipke's undefeated Lady Speightspeare , who was scratched at the starting gate prior to the QE II, is scheduled to return to Woodbine on Monday.

"She's OK this morning. It's just disappointing to come all this way and not run," said Ally Walker, assistant to trainer Roger Attfield. "She has a bit of a wild side, and yesterday she reared up four times in the gate and then tried to lay down."

Breeders' Cup Preparations

Cox said Sunday morning that Ike and Dawn Thrash's Turnerloose , third as the favorite in the Oct. 13 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T), remains on track for a start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

"We are still planning on going," Cox said. "The only question is if she will be able to get in (if the race is over-subscribed)."

Three horses with possible Breeders' Cup World Championships races on their horizons were part of a busy 193-horse work tab over a fast track Sunday morning at Keeneland.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat  worked a half-mile in :49 3/5 for the Longines Turf (G1T) and Lexitonian  worked five furlongs in 1:03 4/5 for the Qatar Racing Sprint (G1). Both are trained by Jack Sisterson.

Also working toward a possible Sprint start was WSS Racing and 4 G Racing's Mucho , who drilled a :48 2/5 half-mile for trainer John Ortiz.