Program Trading Leads Brown's Assault in Virginia Derby

Trainer Chad Brown has been an infrequent participant at Colonial Downs with his stable of horses through the years, but as more rewarding racing opportunities have grown in Virginia, his pursuits there have also increased.

Last year, the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer ran three horses there, among them Unanimous Consent , who finished fourth in the New Kent Virginia Derby (G3T). This year, he has brought even more of his skilled turf stable to Colonial, running Gina Romantica , Adhamo , and Rockemperor  last month in grade 1 races, and now, he has another four entered at Colonial in stakes Sept. 9.

Brown has two horses in both the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks: Program Trading  and Activist Investing  in the Virginia Derby, Idea Generation  and Root Cause  in the Virginia Oaks.

They give New York-based Brown a strong chance for a Colonial victory, with the public likely viewing Program Trading as his best shot in the $500,000 Virginia Derby. The race received a $200,000 purse boost this year. 

The Klaravich Stables-owned Lope de Vega  ridgling is one of Brown's top young grass runners—lightly raced and most recently a determined winner of the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) by a head Aug. 5.

"This horse really dug in and showed a lot of heart. It's only his third start moving right into a major race like this," Brown said after that win.

Flavien Prat, who rode Program Trading to victory in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby, returns in the irons for the mount in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile turf contest. 

Feargal Lynch is aboard Brown's other Virginia Derby entrant, Activist Investing, a winner of two straight against maiden and first-level allowance optional claiming foes in New York. The Kingman  colt also races for Klaravich Stables.

The opposition is headed by Gigante , winner of the Secretariat Stakes (G2T) for the partnership of Iapetus Racing and Diamond T. Racing and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Other stakes winners in the Virginia Derby include Freedom Trail , Salute the Stars , Dataman , and Ari Gold .

Prat will be on Klaravich Stables' Idea Generation and Lynch on Jeff Drown's Root Cause for Brown in the $250,000 Virginia Oaks, one of five supporting stakes on Virginia Derby Day, the final card of the Colonial meet. Both fillies step up from allowance-level competition.

The richest earner in the Virginia Oaks is dual grade 3 stakes winner Mission of Joy , who has made $293,317 for owners RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables and trainer Graham Motion. She was a close seventh as the favorite in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) in her last outing July 8. Antonio Gallardo rides.