Brown Casts 'Vote' Against Belmont Stakes

For years, trainer Chad Brown has made some difficult decisions about where to place his bevy of top-level grass fillies and mares.

Now he's facing the same type of enviable situation with 3-year-old colts.

In the aftermath of the May 21 victory by Klaravich Stables' Early Voting  in the $1.65 million Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, the four-time Eclipse Award winner has a trio of grade 1-winning 3-year-olds—each with different owners—who will be candidates for major summer prizes such as the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1, July 23 at Monmouth Park) and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1, Aug. 27 at Saratoga Race Course) that will play a key role in determining the division champion.

Not bad for someone who used to—with a heavy emphasis on the "used to"—be considered a turf trainer.

"These are the tough decisions you want to have," Brown said.

Although Brown ruled out the final leg of the Triple Crown, the June 11 $1.5 million Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), for Early Voting, he said he was uncertain of what would be next for his second Preakness winner.

"I haven't given any particular thought to what's next for Early Voting, but the Jim Dandy (G2, July 30 at Saratoga) and the Haskell are in play. I wouldn't favor one over the other right now; they are both in the right time frame," Brown said May 22 after returning to his Belmont Park barn.

While none of his trio will be running in the Belmont Stakes, Brown is likely to start Champagne Stakes (G1) and Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2) winner Jack Christopher  in the $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) on the Belmont Stakes undercard. The seven-furlong test will likely serve as a springboard to the Haskell for the son of Munnings   owned by Jim Bakke, Gerry Isbister, Coolmore Stud, and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.

Jack Christopher breezed four furlongs in :49.08 at Belmont Park Sunday to begin his preparations for the Woody Stephens.

"He looked terrific," Brown said.

Jeff Drown's Zandon , who was third for Brown in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1), will also be in the mix for the Jim Dandy/Haskell/Travers.

As for Early Voting, Brown was pleased with the son of Gun Runner  's condition when the Preakness winner returned to New York Sunday.

"I examined him at Belmont myself this morning and he's fine. He's happy in his stall and already laying down and taken a nap," Brown said.

Passing Frankel on Earnings List Adds to Brown's Day 

For Brown, aside from the personal satisfaction, there was the added pleasure of winning the Preakness for Klaravich owner Seth Klarman, who grew up three blocks from Pimlico and celebrated a festive 65th birthday Saturday.

"Winning for Seth was very important to me," Brown said. "Winning for him in Baltimore on his birthday, I'll never get tired of mentioning that. That made it so special."

Putting the day over the top was one other memorable achievement for the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer.

Brown has always been proud of working for and learning his trade with trainer Bobby Frankel, and he often credits the late Hall of Famer as his mentor. That bond made Saturday's Preakness victory extra special, because the $990,000 winner's share lifted Brown past Frankel into sixth on the all-time earnings list with $228,512,968, according to Equibase. Frankel had earnings of $227,912,709.

"I'm speechless about that," Brown said. "I'm very fortunate that I and my team have been given such great opportunities, and I'm humbled by it."

While Brown may have a statistical edge on Frankel, the 43-year-old said he will always take a backseat to his mentor.

"Bobby will always be the gold standard for me in terms of being a complete trainer who can win with any type of horse," he said. "I will always work toward preserving his legacy. But no matter what, he will always be above me."

Up next on the list is D. Wayne Lukas with $286,039,069 in fifth place.

Todd Pletcher is the all-time leader with $429,638,860, putting him about $42 million ahead of Steve Asmussen in second.

Creative Minister Bound for Belmont; 'Skippy' Possible 

As the Pimlico stakes barn that was bustling with activity Thursday turned into a ghost town Sunday morning, the only starter in the second jewel of the Triple Crown committed to run in the Belmont Stakes is third-place finisher Creative Minister .

Owned by Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, and Magdalena Racing, the son of Creative Cause   finished 3 1/2 lengths behind Early Voting while making his fourth career start and first in graded-stakes company.

"He's in good order," trainer Kenny McPeek said Sunday. "He's going to ship up there (to New York) in a day or two and get a feel for the racetrack. He's out of a Tapit   mare (Tamboz), and Tapits love the Belmont."

The champion stallion Tapit has sired four Belmont Stakes winners, including last year's victor, 2021 3-year-old champion Essential Quality  .

Along with Creative Minister, the other probable starters for the June 11 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown are Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike , Mo Donegal , Barber Road , We the People , and Golden Glider . The possible starters include Skippylongstocking , who was fifth in the Preakness; Western River , May 21 Sir Barton S. Sponsored by Brandon and Diannah Perry to Benefit The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance winner Ethereal Road , and a filly, Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up Nest .

"He ran good enough (in the Preakness) and it might be worth taking a shot at it," Skippylongstocking's trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., said about the Belmont. "We won't decide for a week. We'll see how he comes out and see how his energy is and then decide. I think he would get a mile and a half."

Ron Winchell, owner of Epicenter , who was second in both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, called running in the Belmont "a stretch" and that the colt would likely be pointed toward the Haskell and/or Travers.

Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Oath , fourth in the Preakness, will be given time off and will target the July 23 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.

McPeek, who owns a share of the Creative Minister through his Magdalena Racing, and the rest of the ownership group had to pay a supplemental $150,000 fee to make Creative Minister eligible for the Triple Crown. "I was real pleased," McPeek said. "It was a stretch to supplement him, but I thought the horse really deserved a chance and I'm glad he acquitted himself well."

Creative Minister earned $181,500 in the Preakness, basically covering the supplemental fee and giving the rapidly developing colt a ticket to the Belmont Stakes as well.

"I wouldn't have told you in January that this would be the horse I would bring to the Belmont," McPeek said about a winner of two of four starts who captured an allowance optional claiming race in his start prior to the Preakness. "He kind of reminds me of Sarava (the McPeek-trained 70-1 winner of the 2002 Belmont Stakes), a horse that was so under the radar."

After the Preakness, Creative Minister will not be ignored three weeks from now in the Belmont.

Odd Win Odds on the Preakness 

Without question, the most baffling part of the Preakness was the win betting on the race.

Two weeks after Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby at 80-1, the betting public displayed an unexpected affection for the two biggest longshots in the morning line, Fenwick , who was priced at 50-1 at the May 16 post-position draw, and Happy Jack , a 30-1 shot. Yet both horses, who were coming off losses of 36 lengths and 19 lengths, respectively, in their last start, were listed at single-digit odds for much of the wagering.

When the early odds for the Preakness were originally posted, prices between 7-1 and 9-1 on them seemed quite odd but were reasoned away by the small amount of money in the pool. But that perception changed when millions poured into the pool, and at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, about 3 1/2 hours before post time, Fenwick was still 7-1 and Happy Jack 8-1. That's when it became a head scratcher and ignited some erroneous conjecture that something was amiss with the pool.

"I asked Mike Rogers (the acting president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club that operates Pimlico) before the race if something is wrong with the odds because (Fenwick) was 50-1 in the morning line," McPeek said. "He was 7-1 that morning. Who was betting on him?"

Confounding matters, in the exotics wagers both were bet as if they were 50-1 and 30-1 shots. In the double linking the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G3) and the Preakness, the will-pay for Fenwick was $1,214.40 and for Happy Jack $982, while Simplification , 6-1 in the morning line, had a $171 payout and Creative Minister (10-1 ML) $209.40.

In the $2 Pick Five ending with the Preakness, Simplification and Creative Minister both had payoffs of about $10,200, while Fenwick was worth $334,634 and Happy Jack $128,705.40.

By post time, Fenwick went off at 13-1 and Happy Jack 11-1, making them monumental underlays—and money-burners as Fenwick was last of nine and Happy Jack was eighth.

While there was surely plenty of money on them, one thing for certain could be said about it.

"It wasn't smart money," McPeek said.