Brown Top Trainer in Earnings After Milestone Year

Chad Brown's 2022 continued to solidify his reputation as one of the top Thoroughbred trainers in the world.

Brown was the top-earning trainer in the United States for the year, posting $31,057,362, $574,425 more than Todd Pletcher. However, Brown reached his mark in 98 fewer starts.

Among his other achievements, Brown tallied 244 victories—the most he's had in a year; had his second-most second-place finishers (176 in 2018); and his second-best earnings per start with $33,685 ($37,803 in 2019).

The numbers he is most proud of are 51 and 18, which represent his graded stakes and grade 1 victories, respectively. The 51 graded stakes triumphs were 15 more than Pletcher, the runner-up in that category.

"It was quite a year. We led the country in not only earnings but grade 1 wins," Brown said. "Graded stakes, to surpass 50 graded stakes in one year, it's hard to do. It's only been done a few times and we're appreciative of all the horses that contributed to that. Won plenty of races and won at a high percentage.

"But the grade 1s and graded stakes are really, to me, the important measure, so to speak, to really service your clients. They give us these great horses to work with; the proof is in the results. So to be able to deliver that many graded stakes, it takes a lot of work from a lot of people and a lot of different skill sets contributing—both human and equine. So I'm appreciative for everyone working together so well."

His four top-winning trainees were within $110,000 of each other's earnings for the year.

Brown's success is a reflection of roster depth of the horses he trains. It also reflects the faith his clients have in him.

"Our clients have a lot of confidence in us to be able to train any kind of horse...For example, it looks like we'll likely have two Eclipse champions: one on the dirt, one on the turf. So our team continues to show the versatility to be able to train any kind of horse: male, female, short, long, ages 2 to 6. I'm very proud of them," he said.

Leading the way was Zandon  ($1,385,500). The son of Upstart   won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and then finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and had three other top-four finishes in grade 1 action.

Next up for Brown is Regal Glory , who banked $1,374,250. By Animal Kingdom , Regal Glory posted a trio of grade 1 triumphs—the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T), Just a Game Stakes (G1T), and the Matriarch Stakes (G1T).

Another earner of more than $1.3 million is a son of Gun Runner  , Early Voting   ($1,328,500), who won the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Asking a trainer to pick his or her favorite horse is tantamount to asking a parent to pick their favorite child. Along those lines, however, Brown said Early Voting's Preakness win was the moment that stood out for him.

"To win the Preakness on (Klaravich Stables') Mr. Seth Klarman's birthday where he grew up in Baltimore was just not only the highlight of the year, it's one of the highlights of my career personally," Brown said. "Me and my team took a lot of satisfaction being able to deliver that memorable birthday gift to him. We all put a lot of planning and effort, and of course, Early Voting doing the heavy lifting on the day of the race and showed up when it counted."

The last of the top four is In Italian , who earned $1,274,683. The Dubawi  mare won both the Diana Stakes (G1T) and the First Lady Stakes (G1T).

How does Brown plan on building off of his 2022 success? He hopes to do the same if he can, but Brown likens his role as trainer to that of a major college football or basketball coach. 

"Some of (the horses) are one and done and some of them you might get four years out of them, but not likely more than that," Brown said. "So you know players graduate on to the next level, which in our business is breeding, and then you have to have done some good recruiting. You have to have the next class of freshmen come in and have injury-free careers, show ability and not be busts. It's very similar. So I'm out there on the recruiting trail and I'm putting the time in doing what I can to contribute to our team, and then my team takes what we recruit and try to develop the players."

In terms of where the year stacks up with others for Brown, 2022 is right alongside his 2019 campaign.

In that year, Brown established his career best in earnings with $31,112,144; won 222 races despite 99 fewer starts compared to 2022; the aforementioned best earnings per start; fourth-best total of seconds (161); and his highest number of thirds (131).

To give Brown's 2022 a little more statistical context, consider his earnings per start ($33,685) was second best among anyone with 17 or more starts and tops among those with more than 200 starts. Overall, he was fourth in firsts (Steve Asmussen, 382), eighth in seconds (Asmussen, 338), 11th in thirds (Asmussen and Karl Broberg, 271), ninth in starters (Asmussen 594), and eighth in starts (Asmussen, 2,155).

Pletcher, who was second in earnings, established a personal mark in that category, outdoing his 2007 season by more than $2 million.

His top performer was Life Is Good  , who won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), Whitney Stakes (G1), and Woodward Stakes (G1) en route to $3,482,500 in earnings.

Pletcher trainee Malathaat  earned $2,055,675. The daughter of Curlin   closed out the year with three straight grade 1 wins—the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1), and the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Another Curlin offspring—Nest —claimed victories in the Ashland Stakes (G1), Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), and Alabama Stakes (G1), plus a second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). Nest earned $1,768,050 in 2022.

Also among Pletcher's top earners is Forte  with $1,595,150. The colt won all but one of his five races, taking home the Hopeful Stakes (G1), the Breeders' Futurity (G1), and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) to close out his year.

Mo Donegal   ($1,314,000) had a lone grade 1 victory in 2022, but it was a big one—the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Rounding out the top five trainers by earnings for the year are Asmussen ($28,579,134), Brad Cox ($23,851, 590), and Bill Mott ($16,848,240).