Joe Wilson Photo

Brown saddles strong pair for Sunday's Plenty of Grace

by Ryan Martin

Trainer Chad Brown boasts a pair of strong contenders for the fifth edition of the $100,000 Plenty of Grace over the inner turf on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Thais makes her 5-year-old debut after a distant 13th behind stablemate Sistercharlie in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 3 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Rio de La Plata enters the one-mile event for fillies and mares with several stakes placings in the United States and her native France, but seeks her first North American victory at such caliber.

Owned by Allen Stable in partnership with Peter Brant, Thais was third in the 2017 Pebbles and rounded out the trifecta once more when finishing behind stable mate Rymska in the Winter Memories the following month - her only start at the Big A.

Two starts back, Thais set a moderate pace in the Grade 1 Beverly D on August 11 at Arlington and gave her trainer the trifecta in the prestigious event, running third behind Sistercharlie and Fourstar Crook at odds of 47-1.

Thais will emerge from post four under jockey Manny Franco.

Brown also sends out Peter Brant's Fifty Five who has won four of her last seven starts. Like Thais, the New York-bred daughter of Get Stormy will make her 2019 debut. Last out, she was a one-length winner against fellow Empire State natives in the Ticonderoga on October 20 over the grass at Belmont Park, a race which she won by the same margin the year prior.

A three-time stakes victor against state-breds, her lone stakes triumph against open company took place in the 2017 Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs while being conditioned by Thomas Bush.

Breaking from the rail, Fifty Five will be guided by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

"They both seem to be training well," Brown said. "Both horses have different running styles, so they should complement each other well. Right now is that time of year to get them both started."

S. Flay Racing's Coffee Crush, seeks her first stakes win breaking from post five. Trained by Jimmy Toner, the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro's lone career win took place over the Aqueduct turf when breaking her maiden at second asking in December 2017.

Coffee Crush set an uncontested pace and drew off to win in wire-to-wire fashion by 3 ¼ lengths. In her most recent effort, she shipped to Fair Grounds for the Albert M. Stall Memorial, where she displayed the same front-running style, but faded to fourth.

Coffee Crush enters off of a five-furlong drill over the turf on April 1 at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla. which she completed in 1:00.65.

"That's what she prefers," Toner said of her pace-setting running style. "She looks good. She breezed well down there before we left. She came out of her effort at Fair Grounds really good. We're hoping we can get her going in the right direction. This filly has some ability and some talent but there's always been a little hiccup every now and then. Hopefully, we can get back into the game with her again."

Coffee Crush is out of the six-time graded stakes winning Najran broodmare Wasted Tears. She will be guided by jockey Jose Lezcano.

Rounding out the field are Silent Sonet (post three, Junior Alvarado) and Conquest Hardcandy (post two, Dylan Davis). Crimson Frost (post six, Junior Alvarado) and Frostie Anne (post seven, Hector Diaz, Jr.) are entered for main track only.

The Plenty of Grace is named in honor of Darby Dan Farms' five-time graded stakes winning mare whose quintet of such caliber wins took place over five different turf courses. Conditioned by John Veitch during her peak years, Plenty of Grace's notable career victories include the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita as well as the Grade 2 Diana Handicap (now a Grade 1) at Saratoga Race Course. She retired with eight victories in 39 career starts at $744,499 in lifetime earnings.

The Plenty of Grace is slated as Race 3 on Sunday afternoon's nine-race program which also features the $100,000 Mizdirection. First post is 1:30 p.m.