Trainer Brown Sending Two West for Hollywood Derby

With six horses returning from the Nov. 4 Twilight Derby (G2T), the Dec. 2 Hollywood Derby (G1T) would appear to be almost a rerun—except for trainer Chad Brown. The Eastern-based trainer has become a master at shipping in horses for Del Mar's big turf stakes in the fall, and he has two that could have much to say about the 2023 Hollywood Derby results.

Klaravich Stables owns Program Trading  and Redistricting , the two from Brown's stable headed for the 1 1/8-mile Derby. Program Trading has won three of his four starts and is a grade 1 winner while Redistricting has two wins in his first three races.

These are connections that have succeeded here before. Brown is seeking his fourth Hollywood Derby, having won with Annals of Time  in 2016, Raging Bull   in 2018, and Domestic Spending  in 2020. Klaravich owned Domestic Spending and was a partner in Annals of Time.

Program Trading, a son of Lope de Vega , debuted in May at Monmouth Park, breaking his maiden by five lengths at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. After he added a victory in his second condition, Brown tried him in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) Aug. 5. Program Trading gutted out a head victory over fellow Hollywood Derby entrant Webslinger .

"This horse really dug in and showed a lot of heart," Brown said after the Saratoga Derby.

In only his fourth start, Program Trading ran second by 1 1/4 lengths to Integration  in the Sept. 9 Virginia Derby (G3T) at Colonial Downs. Integration is undefeated in three starts, flattering the Virginia Derby form when he returned to win the Nov. 18 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) by five lengths at Aqueduct.

Brown unveiled Redistricting in June at Belmont Park, where the son of Kingman   scored by 4 3/4 lengths. That effort prompted Brown to try the gelding in the July 8 Belmont Derby (G1). Redistricting didn't get a good trip, having to race wide on both turns and then becoming involved in a bumping incident in the stretch, and he finished seventh. He returned in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Aqueduct Oct. 28 to win by two lengths, showing a powerful kick to draw off late.

Flavien Prat, who has been aboard Program Trading in his past three starts, will return to ride from post 8. Joel Rosario will pilot Redistricting for the first time, and they drew post 7.

Webslinger has competed against both Brown runners, having finished fourth in the Belmont Derby. He also ran third in the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita for trainer Mark Casse. The gelded son of Constitution   is a three-time stakes winner, taking the 2022 Nownownow Stakes as well as the 2023 American Turf Stakes (G2T) and Audubon Stakes. Tyler Gaffalione will ride Webslinger in the Hollywood Derby from post 5.

Casse has sent strings to California many times in the past, including some Del Mar summer meetings.

"We came out for the Breeders' Cup, and then Mark decided to come down here and stay," said assistant Shane Tripp. "We've run a couple and hit the board a couple of times. Next weekend we'll be busy."

Casse also has entered 2-year-old filly Go With Gusto  in the Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) on the Derby card and has nominated 2-year-old Dead Pan to the Dec. 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T).

Seal Team , winner of the Twilight Derby, hails from the barn of trainer Richard Mandella, who won the Nov. 24 Hollywood Turf Cup (G2T) with Planetario  and Nov. 23 Red Carpet Stakes (G3T) with Linda's Gift . Mandella at the Del Mar meet also scored impressively with first-time starter Kopion , a 2-year-old daughter of former Mandella star Omaha Beach  , in a maiden race Nov. 26.

A son of War Front  , Seal Team in five starts has won three, with a second and a third. Umberto Rispoli has ridden him in all but his debut and will return on him from post 9.

British trainer Charles Appleby, who has won 10 Breeders' Cup races, including this year's Mile (G1T) with Master of The Seas , has entered Silver Knott  in the Hollywood Derby. A multiple group stakes winner in his native Great Britain, Silver Knott has started five times in the U.S. without a win. However, he finished second in both the Twilight Derby and 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) and third in the 2023 Secretariat Stakes (G2T) and Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T). He also outfinished Redistricting when fifth in the Belmont Derby.

Like Program Trading, Silver Knott is by Lope de Vega. Jamie Spencer will ride Silver Knott from the rail.

The rest of the field includes Reiquist , Watsonville , and Maltese Falcon , who finished fourth, sixth, and 11th, respectively, in the Twilight Derby, and Santorini . The latter most recently ran third in the Oct. 28 Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland.