Brown Pleased with Travers Trio After Final Works

Winning the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) has long been a goal for trainer Chad Brown.

He has his best chance to accomplish that goal on Aug. 27.

Brown worked his Travers horses—Klaravich Stables'  Early Voting , Jeff Drown's Zandon , and Juddmonte's Artorius —on the main track at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 20.

"I thought all of them worked super," Brown said, sitting in his office following the morning works. "It's sort of like Kentucky Derby week. Everybody loves their horses, everybody loves the last work. Truthfully, these horses have been working super."

Early Voting, a son of Gun Runner  , worked five furlongs in 1:01 with Jose Ortiz in the saddle; Zandon, by Upstart  , went five furlongs in 1:00.65 with longtime exercise rider Kriss Bonn up, and Artorius, a son of Arrogate , went a half-mile in :47 with Irad Ortiz Jr. riding.

Brown, who is a native of nearby Mechanicville, has started 12 horses in the Midsummer Derby with his best finish being a third last year with Miles D. It's no secret he wants to get the Travers on his resume. 

"Absolutely, by far," Brown said about this year being his best chance. "I'm very excited about it. These horses are hard to come by. There will be years when you walk into this office and I won't have a horse in the Travers. It's just the reality. To have three in here, I am hoping one of them can get it done."

Other Travers contenders that worked Aug. 20 included Gold Square's Cyberknife , who went five furlongs in 1:00 for trainer Brad Cox and Grandview Equine's Gilded Age , who went five furlongs in 1:00.95 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.