Brown-Trained Trio, Kaigun in Man o' War

Trainer Chad Brown appears to hold a strong hand in the $400,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. IT) May 14 at Belmont Park with three entrants: Morandi, Money Multiplier, and Wake Forest.

The Man o' War, the 10th race on the Saturday program, attracted an evenly matched field of nine. Post time is set for 6:17 p.m. EDT.

Michael Dubb, Sheep Pond Partners, and Bethlehem Stables' Wake Forest, a 6-year-old German-bred horse by Sir Percy, drew post 9 with John Velazquez named for the 1 3/8-mile turf stakes. Wake Forest, an even fifth in the Arlington Million (gr. I) in his final start of 2015, returned to the races April 2 at Gulfstream Park and rallied strongly to finish second, only a head behind Kaigun, in the Pan American Handicap (gr. IIT).

Gary Barber, Harvey Swartz, and Tina Casse's Kaigun, a 6-year-old Northern Afleet   gelding, could end up going off as the favorite in the Man o' War given his consistency and preference to race close to the pace in a race with little early speed on paper. Kaigun, trained by Mark Casse, has a win and two seconds, all in grade II stakes, in three starts this year.

He drew post 7 and will be ridden by Joe Bravo, who has been aboard Kaigun in his last five races.

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Money Multiplier, with Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride from post 2, won his 2016 debut April 15 when he sat just off a slow pace to capture a turf allowance event at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 4-year-old Lookin At Lucky   ridgling had a pair of seconds in grade III stakes last year before two dull efforts to end his season.

Martin Schwartz's Morandi, who will break from post 1 with Javier Castellano, won a group I stakes in France in 2012 but raced only once last year and once this year--in a turf allowance race at Keeneland. The 6-year-old Holy Roman Emperor horse lacked running room for the final sixteenth of a mile in his last start, and Castellano accepts a return call for Brown.