Brown Seeks Elusive Poker Win With Masen, Public Sector

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out two sons of Kingman  in search of the trainer's first career score in the $250,000 Poker States (G3T) going a mile on turf at Belmont Park June 18.

Brown, who will be represented by Masen  and Public Sector , has sent out 13 previous Poker entrants with his best results coming from runner-up efforts by Raging Bull   (2021), Made You Look  (2018), and Projected  (2017).

Juddmonte's British homebred Masen enters from an in-hand five-length triumph in the Seek Again Stakes traveling one mile over a good course May 22 at Belmont. Manny Franco engineered the decisive victory over a compact three-horse field.

The 4-year-old gelding launched his career in Ireland with conditioner Ger Lyons where he posted three wins at Leopardstown. He was second in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) in April at Keeneland in his stateside debut.

Klaravich Stables' Public Sector, a 4-year-old colt, enjoyed a productive sophomore campaign, capturing graded stakes, before he launched his current campaign with an off-the-board effort in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1T) May 7 on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) undercard at Churchill Downs. He is cross-entered in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park.

Prat returns to the irons aboard Masen, assigned 120 pounds, from the inside post; while Jose Ortiz will guide Public Sector, who carries a field-high 124 pounds, from post 4.

Woodslane Farm homebred Wolfie's Dynaghost  (post 5, Luis Saez, 118 pounds) has proved to be an multi-surface performer with wins on dirt, synthetic, and turf in his 13-race career. The son of Ghostzapper   was third last out in the Seek Again over good turf, beaten over 22 lengths.

"I thought maybe the soft ground wasn't to his liking for his last performance, but we're hoping to get back onto firm ground," trainer Tom Albertrani said.

Albertrani said Wolfie's Dynaghost came into his own over the winter in Florida with his only off-the-board effort in four starts coming in a good fifth, defeated 4 3/4 lengths, in the Challenger (G3T) over the Tampa Bay Downs track. 

"He really has matured since a year ago," Albertrani said. "We got a few nice races into him the past few months and besides the one dirt race we tried at Tampa, he's been pretty well right there or thereabouts his last few races. Hopefully, we can throw out the last one."

Out of the Dynaformer  mare Dynaire , Wolfie's Dynaghost is a half-sibling to the Albertrani-trained multiple graded stakes-winning multi-millionaire Sadler's Joy , who was a staple in distance races on the turf with his trademark closing kick.

Edward Messina and William Butler's Sanctuary City  and Adele Dilschneider's Penalty  are the remaining two entrants.

Entries: Poker S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, June 18, 2022, Race 6

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $250,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:27 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Masen (GB)	Flavien Prat	120	Chad C. Brown	6/5
2	2Sanctuary City (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	James W. Ferraro	7/2
3	3Penalty (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	William I. Mott	6/1
4	4Public Sector (GB)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Chad C. Brown	5/2
5	5Wolfie's Dynaghost (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Thomas Albertrani	5/1