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Brown goes four-deep in pursuit of record-extending eighth G2 Ballston Spa score

by Mary Eddy

The Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa often features a strong contingent for four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown, and this year’s running is no different as the veteran trainer sends out a quartet for Thursday’s 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf route for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course.

Brown boasts seven wins in this event, including with Zagora [2012], Dacita [2015], Lady Eli [2017], Quidura [2018], Significant Form [2019], Viadera [2021] and Technical Analysis [2022].

Leading the charge this year for Brown is Louis Lazzinnaro, Madaket Stables, Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb’s dual graded stakes-winner Beaute Cachee [post 4, Frankie Dettori], who arrives from a determined neck score over Sacred Wish in the Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 20 at Monmouth Park. There, she led at each point of call and gamely turned back the challenge of Sacred Wish to earn the second graded win of her career.

Beaute Cachee worked a half-mile in 50 seconds flat over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track August 15 in her final preparation for the Ballston Spa.

“She's really doing well. I'm proud of her. She's just come off of a super work here and I'm really pleased with how she's developed this year,” said Brown. “She's showed a new dimension this year with her speed.”

The 5-year-old Literato gray notched the biggest victory of her career in April in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, where she crossed the wire a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths ahead of English Rose with subsequent Grade 1-winner Didia finishing third. The effort garnered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure, and followed a good third in her American Grade 1 debut in the Matriarch in December at Santa Anita Park.

Previously trained by Gael Barbedette in her native France, Beaute Cachee has been a model of consistency since joining Brown last May, hitting the board in 7-of-8 starts. She was bred in France by Gregor Vischer and has banked over $700,000.

Consistency is a common factor among the Brown contenders, and also describes the up-and-coming Delahaye [post 3, Tyler Gaffalione], who holds a perfect in-the-money record of 7-4-1-2 since debuting last February at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by William Lawrence and Three Chimneys Farm, the Medaglia d’Oro dark bay was last seen finishing third to Beaute Cachee in the Matchmaker, but was a convincing 1 3/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Mint Julep two starts back in June at Churchill Downs. The effort was awarded a 92 Beyer, which was sandwiched by 93 figures received for a game third in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in May and her Matchmaker effort.

“We were patient waiting for this race. We've picked our spots with her,” said Brown. “She may have been compromised a little bit on the pace last time, but she's a very consistent horse for us and we've always thought a lot of her.”

The 4-year-old filly, who has never been beaten by more than two lengths, was a $550,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the unraced War Front mare Bella Carina, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winners Valid and Malibu Prayer.

Dual Grade 1-winner Gina Romantica [post 5, Flavien Prat] appeared to tail off in form this spring after a close fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Santa Anita Park, but flashed her brilliance once again last out when a rallying third to just miss in the Grade 1 Diana on July 13 here.

“I was very pleased with her Diana effort. She seems to be running back into form,” Brown said. “Looking at her last couple of years of racing, it seems like she may be a second half of the year type of filly, and this is the time of year she's at her best.”

Owned by Peter Brant, the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief was a restricted stakes-winner in the summer of her sophomore campaign, and broke through in a big way when winning her Grade 1 debut that fall in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. She returned to good form again last year with a win in the Grade 1 First Lady in October at Keeneland and a solid second in the Grade 1 Beverly D. in August at Colonial Downs to go along with her good showing at the Breeders’ Cup when defeated just one length going up against males.

The bay mare returned in April to contest the Jenny Wiley, but fell flat as she finished seventh, 7 1/4 lengths behind Beaute Cachee. She finished a much closer fifth in the Grade 1 Just a Game in June here before rebounding to rally late for show honors three-quarter lengths back of stablemate Whitebeam in the Diana.

The Brown entrants are completed by Juddmonte’s British homebred Coppice [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], who was last seen finishing a close fifth in the Diana 1 3/4 lengths back of Whitebeam. The often deep-closing Kingman 4-year-old has made three starts for Brown since moving from the yard of John and Thady Gosden, led by a narrowly-beaten second in Churchill’s Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in May at first asking for Brown when a neck back of stablemate Chili Flag.

“She's training really well. Her first start in the country was outstanding - she narrowly lost to an eventual Grade 1-winner in Chili Flag,” Brown said. “The last couple of races have been a little frustrating - not the greatest of trips, not terrible, but maybe not the setups she wants. She's a bit of a temperamental horse in the mornings, but she's training like she has a big race in her at some point in time. We'll see if we can get her across the finish line here and get going.”

Coppice earned her lone stakes victory in September at Newmarket when annexing the one-mile Rosemary by a half-length when taking on elders as a sophomore. She is out of the Observatory mare Helleborine and is a full-sister to dual group-winner and promising young Irish stallion Calyx.

Completing the field is Repole Stable’s Grade 3-winner Surprisingly [post 1, Jose Ortiz] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 5-year-old Mastery bay will look to upset the Brown contenders off an even fourth in the Matchmaker when one length back of Beaute Cachee. Her two best finishes this year came with a neck defeat to Didia in the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream and another close second in the Grade 3 Orchid in March over the same oval.

Hoosier Philly, Movie Moxy and Amanda’s Folly have been entered for the main track-only.

The Ballston Spa is slated as Race 2 on Thursday’s 10-race program. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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