Brown Saddles Trio in Quest to Add Edgewood to Resume

It’s rare to find a graded stakes race on the turf trainer Chad Brown hasn’t won yet— the four-time Eclipse Award winner has captured nearly every top grass prize in North America from New York to California. But on May 5, he’ll seek to add one stakes that has eluded him when he saddles three in the $500,000 Edgewood Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.

The formidable Brown trio of Liguria , Preliminary , and Revalita  take on the top three finishers of last month's Appalachian Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, including the gutsy winner, Mark Casse-trained Papilio .

Alpha Delta Stables’ Liguria impressed in her last effort, the Dec. 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar, but has been unraced since that winning performance. The 3-year-old daughter of War Front   returned to the work tab in mid-March for Brown and has been breezing consistently, but still faces the obstacle of a five-month layoff in Friday’s 1 1/16-mile test. Flavien Prat, aboard the filly for two of her three starts, both wins, has the call.

Preliminary and Revalita, the co-third choices on the morning line, look promising but also have several question marks. Preliminary, a $357,212 Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling, enters graded company for the first time after graduating in her debut last out at Gulfstream Park March 19. Raced by Klaravich Stables, the Lope de Vega  filly launched a wide rally late to get up for the victory. Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount.

Revalita, a stakes winner in France, should be the most intriguing Brown entrant of the three. Making her North American debut in the March 4 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream, the Wise Racing color bearer nearly circled the field despite a sluggish early pace, beaten three-quarters of a length for fourth. With rain in the weekend’s forecast, a soft turf course would certainly play into Revalita’s favor, as she was successful over the boggy going in Europe. Jose Ortiz will ride her back.

The second-and third-place finishers of the Herecomesthebride, Papilio and Cairo Consort , renewed their rivalry in the Appalachian, with Papilio narrowly besting Cairo Consort for the second time. Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing’s Cairo Consort, from the barn of Todd Pletcher, was given slight favoritism in the morning-line odds over Papillo at 3-1. The incredibly consistent daughter of Cairo Prince  , twice grade 1-placed, has been in the money in her last eight starts.

Brad Cox trainee Heavenly Sunday , third in the Appalachian, is expected to be part of the early pace in the field of 11 sophomore fillies. Looking for her first black-type win in the Edgewood, the Candy Ride   filly is one of two contenders for Cox, who also will run Bourbonette Oaks runner-up Flashy Gem  for Spendthrift Farm.