Brown Aims to Win a Home Game in Special Belmont Stakes

When Chad Brown started training in 2007, he had the usual items on his bucket list. Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup wins. An Eclipse Award. A Saratoga Race Course trainer's title.

He's already checked off all of those boxes in a career on the right path toward inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Yet there's one item he could not have anticipated 17 years ago that now owns a prime spot on his to-do list.

With last year's announcement that Belmont Park would be closed until the track is rebuilt and reopened in 2026 at the earliest, all of a sudden an impossible dream became possible.

Growing up not far from Saratoga in Mechanicville, N.Y., Brown would covet winning the historic first Belmont Stakes (G1) at the Spa in front of locally based family and friends.

And in 9-5 morning-line favorite Sierra Leone , he just might have the $2.3 million 3-year-old who can make his dreams come true.

"It's exciting for me and everyone with my team and family. We're personally involved in the community here in Saratoga, being a resident up here. It's an interesting experiment having the Belmont up here," Brown said. "To win the first Belmont at Saratoga not far away from where I grew up, it would be a real special moment for me and my family and team. We have a base of operations here and we always focus on the Saratoga meet. Potentially it would be a great moment but it will be a challenging race. There are some good horses in this race. Yet It will be very special to get our first Belmont win in Saratoga, given all the time we spend here."

Success at Saratoga has been a main cog of Brown's stable as he has won or shared six of the last seven trainer's titles at the Spa and captured seven titles overall.

Tuscan Gold to get time off

Though Tuscan Gold  was considered a possible starter in the Belmont Stakes, Brown said the son of Medaglia d'Oro   did not train well leading up to the race and was not entered.

He added Tuscan Gold would receive a thorough medical check before any future plans would be discussed.

Third in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1), Tuscan Gold is owned by William Lawrence, Walmac Farm, and Stonestreet Stables.