Brown Caps 2018 Season with Top Trainer Title

The 2018 numbers are in, and, according to the final statistics released Jan. 2 by Equibase, Chad Brown sits firmly atop the leading trainers' podium by purse earnings in North America for the third consecutive year. 

In what ended as another banner season for Brown, the two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer scored two Breeders' Cup victories in 2018—both, coincidentally, with Irish-breds. Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord dominated in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juveniles Fillies Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs and Peter Brant's Sistercharlie followed suit one day later with a win in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T). 

Although Brown did not send out a classic winner, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables' champion 2-year-old Good Magic  posted an impressive second-place effort behind Triple Crown winner Justify  in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The colt found success of his own later in the season when he took the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1). 

Michael Dubb, leading owner of 2018 on the NYRA circuit and longtime friend of Brown, said he credits much of his success to his partnership with Brown and the trainer's ability to equally prioritize the needs of his horses and his owners.  

"I've been with Chad from the beginning of his training career," Dubb said. "We used to claim horses together when he started out, and he's the same trainer today that he was the day we claimed our first horse. He's meticulous, thorough, prudent, analytical, and he's a great communicator. He always has the owner's best interest at heart. He understands that it's a very difficult business to stay afloat in, from an owner's point of view, and he does everything he can to make sure that prudent financial decisions are made. 

"In my opinion, he runs his operation like the management of the New York Yankees," Dubb continued. "He signs the best players every year, and by that I mean he brings in the best help. He might pay a little more for that help, but he spends money on his operation to make money. He has the best help, the best blacksmiths, and the best veterinarians around, and the best training facilities when he needs to send a horse out. With Chad, it's quality, quality, quality. I just concluded the year as a leading NYRA owner for the fifth straight year, and Chad had a lot to do with that. We've had an incredible year." 

Brown sent out the winners of 224 races from 839 starts for total earnings of $27,546,057. On par with last year's tally, Brown again notched 47 graded stakes victories. An impressive 36 of the 47 were earned on the turf. Brown once again led all trainers on the turf with 140 from 500 starts on the grass and $17,260,362 in total purse earnings. 

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who has led the North American earnings list twice, finished second in 2018, having won 401 races from 513 starters with 1,905 starts for earnings of $26,457,276.  

Rounding out the top 10 North American trainers were Todd Pletcher ($18,373,767), Bob Baffert ($17,017,899), Brad Cox ($15,182,346), Mark Casse ($14,946,783), Michael Maker ($9,645,601), John Sadler ($8,914,045), Karl Broberg ($8,078,228), and Peter Miller ($8,076,631).