Paladin points to G2 Risen Star; Ottinho, Schoolyardsuperman possible for Listed $200K Withers

• Paladin points to G2 Risen Star; Ottinho, Schoolyardsuperman possible for Listed $200K Withers
• Dazzling Dame earns 91 BSF for $150K Busanda
• My World impressive in Jerome victory
• Lucille Ball earns 103 BSF in comeback score

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has a number of promising contenders on the Kentucky Derby-trail that had their picture taken at Aqueduct Racetrack, including Grade 2 Remsen-winner Paladin and impressive local maiden winners Ottinho and Schoolyardsuperman.

Brown, a 47-year-old native of Mechanicville, N.Y., has a first ‘Run for the Roses’ victory in his sights with his best previous finishes coming with 2024 runner-up Sierra Leone and 2022 third-place finisher Zandon.

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter Brant, Brook T. Smith and breeder Summer Wind Equine’s Paladin was elevated to victory in his October 17 debut at Belmont at the Big A. There, Renegade rallied up the inside to cross the wire a head in front but was subsequently disqualified following a stewards’ inquiry concerning the final sixteenth of the one-turn mile.

Paladin, by Gun Runner, followed with a dominant effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen on December 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack, edging clear to a two-length score over familiar foe Renegade. The winning effort registered an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

The $1.9 million purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale has since shipped to Brown’s division at Payson Park where he worked a half-mile in 50.80 seconds December 28 in preparation for a start in the nine-furlong Grade 2, $500,000 Risen Star, a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifier on February 14 at Fair Grounds Race Course.

“He's settled into South Florida nicely and will likely point to the Risen Star,” Brown said. “He's 2-for-2 and he's a very smart horse; an efficient mover and he's obviously got the pedigree and looks. Given his purchase price, he's got all the right tools. It's just a matter of staying healthy and moving forward in his development.”

Paladin is out of the Tapit mare Secret Sigh, a half-sister to dual Group 1-winner Mozu Ascot and stakes-winner Kareena.

A pair of well-bred Brown trainees squared off in a nine-furlong maiden route on New Year’s Eve here as Ottinho battled Hadrian’s Wall in a stretch-drive thriller.

Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Ottinho, by Quality Road and out of the graded stakes-winning Giant’s Causeway mare Quiet Giant, is a half-brother to Hall of Famer Gun Runner. While Hadrian’s Wall, a $1.3 million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is by Curlin and out of 2020 Grade 2 Adirondack-victress Thoughtfully.

Ottinho, with Flavien Prat up, was pressed on the lead by Grey Bull through the early stages as the Manny Franco-piloted Hadrian’s Wall stalked from third position. Hadrian’s Wall advanced through the final turn and tipped out to put a head in front at the stretch call, but a game and determined Ottinho battled back to take command and hit the wire a head in front of his stablemate in a final time of 1:54.07. Both horses earned an 82 Beyer for their efforts.

Brown indicated that Ottinho is likely to point to the nine-furlong Listed $200,000 Withers on January 31 here which offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“Ottinho showed a lot of courage and determination there to fight back against his stablemate, who is also cut out to be a nice horse,” Brown said. “He came out of the race well. The logical thing to do would be to point him to the Withers, so if he trains well all month that's what we'll do.”

Brown said Hadrian’s Wall, who was second on debut on November 2 here, is likely to find a maiden race but will be nominated to the local Derby preps.

“He was facing about a 60-day break between races and that probably wasn't ideal. He might have felt that late,” Brown said. “They were a head apart. It didn't take much to separate them and that might have made the difference. I'm hoping to get him back into a race without having to wait quite as long for him. I would expect him to keep moving forward.”

Campaigned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter Brant, and Brook T. Smith, Hadrian’s Wall was bred in Kentucky by Hill n Dale Equine Holdings and Determined Stud.

Hit the Bid Racing Stable’s Schoolyardsuperman earned an 86 Beyer for his third-out graduation traveling a one-turn mile on December 6 here and is likely headed to the Withers after passing on Saturday’s Jerome here.

The $150,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is by Practical Joke, a three-time Grade 1-winner for Brown. The talented colt endured a troubled debut on September 13 here where he clipped heels and fell but returned one month later to finish a pressing second in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint.
Last out, Schoolyardsuperman soared to a 5 3/4-length win while stretching out for the first time.

“I'd like to give him the opportunity to get around two turns as well. I'm going to point him to the Withers,” Brown said. “This horse will have a little more time between races, which I think will serve him well. He wasn't quite ready to go right back in the Jerome. I think he'll benefit from a little more time.

“He has some additional experience with three career races already and I didn't think running him every four weeks was the right thing to do,” Brown added. “A little more time between his maiden win and jumping up into a stake will help.”

Schoolyardsuperman worked a half-mile in 49.95 seconds Sunday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. He is out of the winning Tiznow mare Tizlegal, a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Crazy Mason.

Also among Brown’s impressive newly-minted 3-year-old crop is Klaravich Stables’ Hedge Ratio, by Speightstown, who on November 22 graduated at third asking by 4 1/2-lengths here over Our Magical Moon – a romping next-out maiden winner at Oaklawn Park for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Hedge Ratio was purchased for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and debuted with a fifth-place finish on turf in August at Saratoga Race Course. He finished fourth in the aforementioned one-mile maiden race won by Paladin before cutting back to 6 1/2-furlongs last out to win over muddy and sealed footing.

“This horse seems to have benefited from a slight cutback. I did not have this horse evaluated correctly on debut,” Brown said. “I thought he would be turf and he always trained like a horse that wanted to go a little farther than maybe he actually does, so a little cutback and experience did the trick. I'll keep him sprinting for now and point him to an allowance later in the month and see if he can turn into a stakes horse in that division.”

St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence and Cathi Glassman’s Iron Honor registered a 95 Beyer for his sparkling 1 1/2-length debut score on December 13 at the Big A.

Brown said the Nyquist sophomore, a $475,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, should be one to stretch out in distance.

“He trains that way,” Brown said. “He's a horse that mentally needed time to come around but now I'm seeing the best of him. If he keeps doing what he's been doing, he should turn out to be a nice prospect.

“I did move him down to my South Florida base here at Payson Park in an effort to separate some of these horses,” Brown added. “I'll point him to a developmental campaign down here and stretch him out.”

Brown noted his potential 3-year-old stakes horses could also include Klaravich Stables’ maidens Growth Equity and Criteria, who both ran second this summer at Saratoga.

“Criteria finished second to Ted Noffey first out and wasn't beaten that far. He's back with me and a little behind schedule as far as making the Derby trail right now, but there's a lot of potential there,” Brown said. “Growth Equity had a minor issue, but he's back and a little further along than Criteria and could probably get to the races by the first week of February. He could move forward from that debut when he was a little immature but still ran good.”

While his 3-year-olds are promising, Brown also has strong prospects in the local older division, including Klaravich Stables’ Weigh the Risks, who worked a half-mile in 50.66 this morning over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

The 5-year-old Mendelssohn mare has won five of her last six starts, including local Listed stakes wins in her last two outings when capturing the Pumpkin Pie and Go for Wand. She is nominated to the $135,000 Ladies on January 17 here.

“We will take a look at it. We may give that a try and just keep her on the New York circuit,” Brown said. “She took a while to come around. I started her on turf being by Mendelssohn, but she's really found her way now on the dirt. As she's matured, she's overcome some of her physical issues that she's had so we're really seeing the best of her now.”

Klaravich Stables’ Shadow Banking, a 4-year-old son of Maclean’s Music, drew off to a three-length score in a six-furlong maiden sprint on Friday here. The $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase has been piloted through all three starts by Flavien Prat, including a distant seventh in July at Saratoga that prompted the ultimate equipment change.

“He's a horse we always liked and the big difference there is we gelded him. We ran the horse at Saratoga, and we quite liked him that day and he ran up the track,” Brown said. “Prat came back, and he was adamant about gelding the horse. He said the horse acted up in the post parade. We did that, turned him out and he's come back a different horse now.

“He trains like he'll run a mile,” Brown added. “I know he was forward in his race sprinting but then he re-broke and ran away from them like a horse that could be dangerous going long on the lead.”

Brown also indicated that AMO Racing USA’s Britain, a distant fifth in Saturday’s Busanda here, came out of the race with no obvious issue and may take some time off.

“A head scratcher down the backside with her just backing up. We didn't see any issue with her this morning, just never really lifted her hooves up yesterday. We'll give her some time to get over that,” Brown said.

The New York-bred Quality Road filly was a $1,050,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase.

***
Dazzling Dame earns 91 BSF for $150K Busanda

Respect the Valleys' Dazzling Dame romped to an 11 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Busanda, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Brittany Russell, the Girvin bay secured the maximum allotment of the respective 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on offer to the top-five finishers. Dazzling Dame took early command from post 4-of-5 under Jevian Toledo, was pressured mildly by the favored Believable through the half-mile in 47.20 seconds, kicked clear before the three-quarters call, and drew off from the closing runner-up Two Bits.

“She ran great. Everything kind of went right the whole trip. We were thankful for that,” Russell said. “She came out of it and looks good. She seems really good.”

Dazzling Dame’s final time of 1:38.30 over the fast dirt was faster than sophomore colt My World’s 1:38.96 when winning the one-mile $150,000 Jerome earlier on the Big A card, as well as the winning 1:38.67 that 5-year-old gelding Russian Realm ran one race later in a solid allowance.

Dazzling Dame was awarded a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

“We are just enjoying the fact that she put on a show yesterday,” said Russell. “We are happy that she came out of it in good shape. It does make you feel pretty good when you see the numbers and things coming back. She ran fast on that type of track. This is exciting. She seems to be progressing at the right time.”

Dazzling Dame entered from a 1 1/2-length victory in Delaware Park’s two-turn mile White Clay Creek on October 11 two starts after notching her first stakes win in Monmouth Park’s Sorority in August. Those efforts surrounded a fourth in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Pocahontas in September at Churchill Downs where she earned two Kentucky Oaks points in the event won by Taken by the Wind.

Russell mentioned post-race that Dazzling Dame would likely try longer distances next, including the nine-furlong Grade 3 Gazelle on April 4 here or the 1 1/16-mile Virginia Oaks on March 14 at Colonial Downs.

“At this stage, I would say you keep all options on the table. Let’s see how she does, like if she needs more time, if she’s ready to go, we’ll leave it up to the filly,” Russell said. “The filly and owner Rocky [Rashall] will steer us, based on how she’s doing. That has worked well up until this point and we’ll continue to let her guide us.”

Toledo improved to 3-for-3 aboard the filly, having also been aboard for the Sorority and a debut graduation versus fellow Maryland-breds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in June at Laurel Park. Dazzling Dame, bred by Maria M. Haire, was a $45,000 purchase at the OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and is out of the multiple stakes-placed Corinthian mare Awesome Dama.

Russell also updated on Balboa, who was overtaken late to land a two-length second to My World in the Jerome. The Not This Time bay picked up five Kentucky Derby points for his runner-up effort, bringing his tally to nine points after earning three points in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen [3rd] on December 6 here, and one point for a fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 American Pharoah in October at Santa Anita Park.

Balboa received a career-best 81 Beyer for the Jerome, a one tick improvement from the Remsen and a debut third in July at Del Mar for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“When I look back, I think maybe the last race took a little more out of him than we thought,” said Russell. “It seemed like plenty of time when the horse was doing well, but I look at it like this, when you are asking big races of them, maybe they need more time in between. Maybe he did get a little tired. Just something to work on and move forward off of.

“Same kind of thing as the filly for next spots. We’ll get him back to the track and see how they train, let them guide us,” added Russell.

Bred in Kentucky by Albaugh Family Stables, Balboa, an $875,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the winning War Front mare Tap of War, a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Halladay. He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan.

***
My World impressive in Jerome victory

Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables’ My World doubled up on stakes victories when stalking and pouncing to a two-length score in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome, a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack. In victory, he secured 10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.

Ridden to victory by Jaime Rodriguez, the son of Essential Quality tracked in last-of-4 through the first quarter-mile before being coaxed along in the turn to come within one length of post-time favorite Balboa. The two brushed in the stretch before My World edged clear of his foe to complete the course in 1:38.96, earning a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Dustin Dugas, assistant to the colt’s dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, said the gray colt was pleased with himself on Sunday morning as he ate his breakfast in the same Belmont Park stall that housed his father during the time of his victory in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in 2021.

“He looks good and ate up everything last night, so no worse for the wear,” Dugas said. “He’s still pretty green with a lot to learn, but he’s a talented colt. He needs to keep improving mentally, but physically he’s there. I thought it was a great ride by Jaime yesterday.”

Rodriguez was aboard the colt when he won the Listed Nashua by 3 1/2 lengths on November 1 at the Big A, and Dugas said that experience helped the veteran rider know what to expect when the colt began drifting a bit in the Jerome.

“He was able at the quarter pole to go left-handed [with the crop] before they even turned into the straight,” Dugas said. “He was aware of what he had under him, so it was a good heads-up ride and that probably wound up making the difference.”

Dugas, who regularly climbed aboard Essential Quality during his tenure in New York, said My World takes after his sire in many ways.

“In the mornings, he reminds of his dad a lot,” Dugas said. “He’s a really cool little horse. He’ll stand up all straight and kind of give you some side eye, and Essential did the same thing. I’m happy with his progression.”

Bred in Kentucky by Cove Springs, My World was a $350,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase and is out of the Grade 3-placed Into Mischief mare Quebec. He brought his win streak to three after graduating at second asking in a six-furlong sprint here ahead of his pair of stakes wins.

***
Lucille Ball earns 103 BSF in comeback score

Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable and Wachtel Stable’s Lucille Ball returned from a 14-month layoff to earn a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for an emphatic 10 1/4-length first-level allowance score on Friday, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Chris Englehart, the cleverly-named Lord Nelson chestnut, out of the Henny Hughes mare Sassy Redhead, graduated at first asking by 5 1/4-lengths here on November 8, 2024. She returned to action on Friday with a swift frontrunning performance under Manny Franco, showing the way through splits of 22.61 seconds, 46.33 and 1:10.78 en route to a facile score as she stopped the clock in 1:17.27 for 6 1/2-furlongs.

“She kind of surprised everybody. It was a good effort. Manny eased up on her the last 70 yards. She trained real well, but when they're off that long, it's hard to expect a race like that,” Englehart said.

Lucille Ball, bred in Kentucky by Susan Young, initially sold for $12,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. She subsequently sold for $100,000 at the March 2024 OBS Sale of 2-Year-Olds-in Training where she worked in 10 seconds flat.

The talented chestnut went to post at odds of 10-1 in her local debut, stalking from third position under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden tilt before taking over nearing the furlong marker en route to sharp score in a final time of 1:17.23. The debut score earned an 82 Beyer.

Englehart noted that Lucille Ball subsequently required two knee surgeries, the second coming earlier in the spring of 2025 to remove a chip after four works at Belmont Park.

"The first one was after her first race and then we had to give her some time off,” Englehart said. “We brought her back a second time and she went sore again when she got close to running, so it was pretty discouraging.”

Lucille Ball worked seven times between October 11 and December 21 over the Belmont Park dirt training track and was withdrawn from the Keeneland November sale to make her sparkling return to action.

"She's a really nice looking filly, good temperament. She's the real deal," said Englehart, who finished third in the 2025 trainer standings at Finger Lakes with 50 wins.

Englehart indicated the next logical spot on the local stakes schedule, the seven-furlong $135,000 Interborough on January 24, may be too quick back. Instead, the connections could consider the seven-furlong Listed Barbara Fritchie on February 14 at Laurel Park. Another local option could be the $135,000 Correction at six furlongs on March 1.

“We're looking to run her in a stakes next and try to get some black type,” Englehart said. “My owners are talking about maybe the Barbara Fritchie at Laurel. I'm not crazy about the stakes coming up at Aqueduct because it's only three weeks, but it's a possibility.”

Lucille Ball will look to add a significant pedigree as her second dam is Sass Me – a half-sister to Grade 1-winners Madcap Escapade [9-7-0-1, $1,052,852] and Dubai Escapade [8-6-0-0, $427,050]. Her third dam is the dual stakes-winner Sassy Pants [22-8-5-2, $239,284], an Illinois-bred daughter of Saratoga Six, who is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Apalachee Special [63-6-6-11, $299,950] and dual stakes-winner Delicatessa [31-5-9-6, $268,142].