Brown Stacks Up Turf Runners at Arlington, Saratoga

Turf racing dominates the stakes scene Saturday, Aug. 10. There are five graded grass stakes, and wouldn't you know Chad Brown trains the morning-line favorite in each and every one.

At Saratoga Race Course, Brown sends out the first two choices in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T), with Uni taking on the boys as the 5-2 chalk and Raging Bull pegged at 3-1 to pick up his third Spa stakes score from as many attempts.

Out in Chicago, Brown is loaded for his annual assault on Arlington International Racecourse with Sistercharlie and Bricks and Mortar, who are listed at 8-5 for the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) and Arlington Million XXXVII (G1T), respectively. The three-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner also brought along Fog of War (3-1) and Valid Point (5-1) for the Secretariat Stakes (G1T), and Cafe Americano (3-1) for the Pucker Up Stakes (G3T).

The inaugural running of the Million in 1981 was the richest Thoroughbred race ever to that point, and will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was run shortly before my first date with the eventual Mrs. At Large, you see, and our rendezvous at the Beacon Lanes on Manhattan's Upper West Side was delayed because the photo showing Bill Shoemaker and John Henry had gotten up to nail The Bart took forever. Through the 38 years that have followed, Mrs. L assumes that whenever I'm running late it is racing-related, and she is a pretty fair handicapper about such things.

ANYWAY, the Fourstardave is preceded by the Saratoga Special Presented By Miller Lite (G2) for 2-year-olds, so there's a double on those two, but our main thrust is the all-stakes pick four at Arlington.

Beverly D. (AP, Race 9, 4:53 p.m. CT): Brown has won this race five times including the last four runnings, and Sistercharlie (7) is hard to go past as she looks to post a Diana (G1T)—Beverly D. double for the second straight year. She had only three weeks between the two races last summer, but got an extra week this time around thanks to scheduling revisions at Saratoga. She's got a devastating closing kick and has stablemate Thais along to pester the speedy British invader Awesometank early.

Magic Wand (6) was cross-entered in the Million and likelier for that race as of midday Friday, but serves as the lone backup if she winds up here.

A - 7

B - 6

Secretariat (AP, Race 10, 5:28 p.m. CT): Scat Daddys are wild as the late, great sire is represented by three of his sons—Van Beethoven (2), Valid Point (7), and Crafty Daddy (9)—as well as grandson Never No More (3).

Fog of War (6) and Valid Point come off promising efforts for Brown at Belmont Park. The former narrowly missed in a swiftly-run edition of the Manila Stakes (a mile in 1:31.56 seconds), and the latter improved to 2-for-2 with a decisive allowance triumph.

Ry's the Guy (5) rates a look at 15-1 on the line after two vastly improved efforts going long with blinkers added at Churchill Downs in June, capped by a win against older rivals in his turf debut.

Faraway Kitten (8) finished a neck in front of The Last Zip (4) and Crafty Daddy (9), with the latter two finishing a dead-heat second, in the American Derby (G3T) over the course four weeks ago, and seem a little light figure-wise.

A - 6, 7

B  - 5

C - 4, 8, 9

Million (AP, Race 11, 6:12 p.m. CT): I'm not spending much time trying to get around Bricks and Mortar (3), who has swept five starts since December on firm, good, and yielding turf while showing the wherewithal to lay close or rally from well off the pace. The son of Giant's Causeway (who won nine of 11 starts) just wants to beat you and does whatever it takes.

The biggest threat to the favorite looks like his stablemate, Robert Bruce (1), who is the 7-2 second choice as he tries to win the Million for the second straight year. If Magic Wand (2) lands here, she's in backup mode as well.

A - 3

B - 1, 2

Pucker Up (AP, Race 12, 6:55 p.m. CT): Easily the most wide open race in the pick four sequence with a dozen sophomore fillies, and favored Cafe Americano (11) is stuck toward the outside.

Cafe Americano got pushed out very wide early in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) by her rank stablemate Newspaperofrecord, and ran on evenly without threatening. The cutback from 10 furlongs figures to help her closing kick, just as it may be a plus for Art of Almost (10). 

Art of Almost flourished through the spring an early summer up at Woodbine, winning twice by open lengths and running a bang-up third in the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) behind the accomplished older mares Holy Helena (a six-time stakes winner, four graded, of over $1.3 million) and Starship Jubilee (a multiple graded 2 winner of more than $700,000). This is an easier spot!

Winter Sunset (9) looks logical after in-the-money finishes in three straight graded stakes, twice behind division leader Concrete Rose.

As a bust-out, consider Mercilla (12), who won her first start in the United States against older allowance rivals (the second finisher won twice at Laurel Park last month), and comes off a throwout in an off-the-turf stake at Delaware Park.

Indigo Gin (4) will try to make every pole a winning one, on the heels of two recent wins over the local layout.

A - 9, 10

B - 11, 12

C - 4

Fourstardave (Sar, Race 9, 5:46 p.m. ET): Along with Uni (3), the filly Got Stormy (6) wheels right back against males after a sharp win in last Saturday's Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes over the course and trip.

Both pack a solid stretch punch and there should be ample pace due to the presence of Dr. Edgar (2), the European invader Ostilio (5), and Gidu (10). Uni was never asked for her best in taking the Perfect Sting Stakes at Belmont in her seasonal bow, but still ran the last quarter-mile in under 22 seconds. She concluded 2018 winning the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) from out of the clouds with a last half-mile in under 45 seconds. Got Stormy, a daughter of 2010 Fourstardave winner Get Stormy , just missed the course record last week and drops 10 pounds off that excellent effort.

Raging Bull took the National Racing Musuem and Hall Of Fame Stakes (G2T) and the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga as a 3-year-old, but totes top weight of 122 pounds despite having lost all three of his starts at age 4. Of course, the last two were against Bricks and Mortar, and he ran respectably enough finishing fourth in the Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) and third in the Manhattan Stakes (G1T).

A - 3, 4

B - 5, 6