Brown's Trio Surrounds New York Stakes

If it’s a graded stakes race on the turf in New York, trainer Chad Brown usually makes his presence felt. In the case of the June 10, $500,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) at 10 furlongs at Belmont Park, Brown literally has the event surrounded, sending out the two inside horses and the outside horse in the field of seven older fillies and mares.

Sea Calisi, a group II winner in France last year, has come stateside and won right off jump street in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont last month over yielding ground. The New York will be the shortest of her nine starts, and she has hit the board in seven of eight to date. Dacita also won her first U.S. start for Brown when she took the Ketel One Ballston Spa Stakes (gr. IIT) last summer following a group I score in her native Chile. Dacita failed to make an impression in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) after being squeezed back at the break. She closed well for second in The Very One Stakes (gr. IIIT) and was fourth behind Tepin and Illuminant, who have both come back to score grade I victories, in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley (gr. IT) in April.

Grade I winner Photo Call will be dangerous if she establishes a slow pace here. She did just that in taking the Orchid Stakes (gr. IIIT) in April. After winning last fall’s Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. IT), Photo Call checked in fifth in the Filly and Mare Turf. She should be running in front of the Brown contingent early, and it’s a question of whether she can hold on in the lane.

Guapaza is another Chilean import for Brown. She finished just behind Dacita for third in The Very One, then landed second behind Sea Calisi in the Sheepshead Bay in her two U.S. starts. She is a multiple group II winner in Chile who has won on the lead or after being reserved early. It would not be a stretch to see her in the winner’s circle.

Trophee finished midpack in a trio of grade III races late last year and opened up 2016 with an allowance optional claiming win. She will need to run the best race of her career to challenge here. Two first-time U.S. starters round out the New York. Havana Moon has raced 11 times in France with a single victory to her credit. Her lone start this year found her weakening to seventh in a group III affair. Kyllachy Queen made an impact racing in Italy. Beginning this season in England, she won a stakes event but was sixth beaten nine lengths in the Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes (Eng-II). She has run well in 10 of her 12 starts but has work to do against this bunch.