Brown's Quartet Dominates Diana, Brant on a Roll

Trainer Chad Brown's domination of the Diana (G1T) continued July 16 when Peter Brant's In Italian  set a record for nine furlongs over the Mellon turf course at Saratoga Race Course. 

The four-time Eclipse Award winner added a seventh Diana score, including six of the last seven editions. Three of his Diana heroines went on to be Champion Turf Female, including Sistercharlie  (2018, 2019), Lady Eli  (2017), and Rushing Fall  (2020). Zagora , who gave Brown his first grade 1 triumph in the 2011 Diana, was named Champion Turf Mare the following year. 

Saturday's Diana saw a Brown superfecta as In Italian set torrid fractions and maintained her advantage into the stretch, fending off a late challenge by graded stakes-winning stablemate Technical Analysis  to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:45.06. 

"I'm very fortunate to have those four horses able to participate," Brown said. "Obviously, it was a very short field, but I can't control that. It's just another memorable accomplishment for our team and a wonderful day at the races for a lot of friends and family. It's certainly a day and a feat I'll always remember."

Entering the Diana off a third in the Longines Just a Game (G1T), at 8-1 In Italian was the longest shot of the Brown foursome, which included grade 1 winners Bleecker Street  and Rougir  as well as Technical Analysis. But the 4-year-old Dubawi  chestnut rose to the occasion when it mattered most, building on a consistent resume that includes a triumph in the Honey Fox (G3) in March at Gulfstream Park. 

"I wouldn't have run her if I didn't think she had a chance to win," Brown said. "I thought all four horses were really lined up and ready to run from whatever their individual styles were. Each horse had a plan and each horse a really fair shot to get their trip and do it. All of them got good trips. In Italian just found a way to rebreak at the top of the lane and kick on, which would've made it hard for any horse to catch her yesterday." 

While In Italian flew in slightly under the radar, Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis arrived off a hand-ridden triumph in the Gallorette Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico. She also won two graded stakes at the Spa last summer in the Lake George (G3T) and Lake Placid (G2T). An unbeaten record in seven starts made Brant's Bleecker Street the Diana favorite, but the daughter of Quality Road   had to make up 10 lengths and finished third. Rougir, owned by Brant and Michael Tabor, just missed third by a neck to complete the all-Brown superfecta. 

Brown did not have any definite plans for their next starts, but said that In Italian could wait for the $600,000 First Lady (G1T) Oct. 8 at Keeneland, where the Breeders' Cup will be held this year. He also indicated a possibility of a rematch between the top two Diana finishers in the $400,000 Ballston Spa (G2T) Aug. 27 at Saratoga. 

Brown said Rougir will "maybe" target the $500,000 Beverly D. (G1) Aug. 12 at Churchill Downs, while Bleecker Street will likely return to action in the fall. 

Bleecker Street, the lone American-bred filly in the field, captured the 10-furlong New York (G1T) June 10 ahead of the Diana, having won three other graded stakes earlier this year. 

"I think to a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter, anywhere in that range is fine," Brown said of Bleecker Street. "What I don't want to do is run her three turns. I don't think that's her deal."

For the past few years, Brown and his owners have gone to public auctions abroad in search of talented horses boasting strong turf pedigrees, including In Italian and Technical Analysis, both of whom were purchased at the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale in England. 

"It's been a nice addition to cultivate our own horses from scratch, going and buying them and putting them in our system," Brown said. "In recent years it became harder to buy horses that had already run a little bit, which we used to do more of earlier on in my career. With those horses being more challenging to purchase privately, we just started to have our own farm team of going and buying European-bred horses. You see the successful ones, and you get a batch of them and not every horse works out, but we've had tremendous success doing it and it's something we'll look to do more of for sure."

Brown worked a handful of stakes-caliber horses July 17 over the Oklahoma turf, including three-time grade 1 winner Regal Glory , who went five furlongs in 1:02.11 in preparation for the $500,000 Fourstardave (G1T) Aug. 13 at Saratoga. 

The 6-year-old Animal Kingdom  mare is unbeaten in three starts this year, including the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Pepsi (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, the Jenny Wiley (G1T) at Keeneland, and the Longines Just a Game (G1T) at Belmont Park. 

"She breezed super," Brown said. "She had been the workmate with In Italian in recent weeks. Her form is holding well. I am planning on waiting for the Fourstardave with her."

Brown also worked graded stakes-placed Higher Truth  (half-mile in :50.71) and dual graded stakes winner Virginia Joy  (five furlongs in 1:02.11) over the turf. Both fillies are on target for the $250,000 Glens Falls (G2T) Aug. 6 at Saratoga.