Adam Coglianese / NYRA Photo

Indian Pride gives trainer Chad Brown sweep of Saratoga stakes in Shine Again

by Brian Bohl

Brereton C. Jones' Indian Pride ensured trainer Chad Brown swept Friday's stakes double, fending off Blamed in deep stretch to register a half-length victory in the $85,000 Shine Again for older fillies and mares on Friday at Saratoga Race Course.

 Indian Pride's third victory in four career starts gave Brown his third consecutive win on the card, which started when he conditioned Viadera and Noor Sahara to a 1-2 finish in the $85,000 De La Rose.

 Following Lady Lawyer's allowance win in Race 8, Saratoga's reigning two-time leading trainer completed the natural hat trick in the Shine Again. Indian Pride broke alertly under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, leading the nine-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 23.13 seconds and the half in 46.06 on the main track rated fast.

 Entering the turn, Joy Epifora briefly took command in front of Indian Pride, though Castellano encouraged his charge and quickly regained the advantage staying near the rail. But Blamed, the multiple graded stakes-winner trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, surged from her outside in the final furlong. The duo linked up and ran eye-to-eye in the final sixteenth before Indian Pride pulled away to complete the seven-furlong sprint in a 1:21.63 final time, capturing her first career stake.

"It was a really good ride the way he stayed off the fence a bit and avoided getting hooked by the other speed and just let her do her thing out in the center of the track," Brown said. "That was our plan in the paddock and Javier executed it. And what about the filly - the heart she showed? Most horses would give up and I think we really should give all credit to her."

Off as the 2-1 favorite, Indian Pride returned $6 on a $2 win bet. The 4-year-old Proud Citizen filly improved her career bankroll to $157,550, returning to the site where she broke her maiden by eight lengths last August. Her only non-win came with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Raven Run to cap her sophomore campaign in October at Keeneland.

"She showed what she's made of today. I was really proud of her effort," Brown said. "She's always been a horse that had immense talent. When she broke her maiden here last summer it was breathtaking really, arguably the most impressive win we had last year. She's had some bumps and bruises along the way in terms of the interrupted schedule, but now she has two straight races under her belt and I hope to have her for the whole season."

Castellano improved to 3-for-3 riding Indian Pride.

"She's an unbelievable filly. I have to give all the credit to Mr. Brown. He put a lot of time and patience into her and it has really paid off," Castellano said. "You can see the development with the horse. Last time it was six and a half furlongs at Belmont, now she's stretching out to seven furlongs.

"I really like the way she fought for me today," he continued. "She dictated the pace and then there was pressure to the inside and when Blamed went after her in the stretch and buried her a little bit into the rail, she never gave up. She kept fighting all the way to the end to win the race. She showed me a lot of class and a lot of heart, too."

Cleber J. Massey's Blamed, the winner of the 2018 Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct Racetrack and the 2019 Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park, was making her first start since running fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont Park. She bested Risky Mandate by three lengths for second.

 "My filly ran a big race. I had a good trip and no excuses," said Blamed jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. "You're going to hear a lot from her this year."

Joy Epifora, Honor Way, Positive Spirit, Bella Ciao, Please Flatter Me and Slimey completed the order of finish. Estilo Femenino was scratched.

Live racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race card highlighted by the Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for sophomore fillies in Race 10 at 6:16 p.m. Eastern. The 1 1/8-mile test will offer 100-40-20-10 points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in September at Churchill Downs. Saturday will also showcase the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds over the inner turf in Race 3 at 2:18 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.