Trainer Chad Brown reported that he is considering the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct for a trio of his horses, including graded-stakes-placed Dr Ardito, multiple graded-stakes-placed Accretive and recent allowance runner-up Cascais.
Owned by Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso, the New York-bred Dr Ardito was a last-out narrow runner-up in the local Forty Niner (G2) on Oct. 28 at a one-turn mile, finishing a half-length behind Everso Mischievous. The 5-year-old Liam’s Map gray collected a pair of stakes wins against fellow state-breds this year in the Haynesfield on Feb. 20 at Aqueduct and the Evan Shipman on Aug. 11 at Saratoga.
“He ran against open company last time and did really well,” Brown said of Dr Ardito.
Klaravich Stables’ Accretive was most recently third in the Forty Niner after finishing a game second in the Vosburgh (G2) to Cody’s Wish, who exited that effort to score a second straight win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The son of Practical Joke was a dual winner at the Spa this summer going six furlongs and one mile. He finished a close second in last year’s Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga, beaten a neck by Gunite.
Three Chimneys Farm’s Cascais made his first start in nearly a full calendar year last out in an Oct. 21 allowance going a one-turn mile at the Big A. The effort was the son of Into Mischief’s first start since last November, when he broke his maiden in gate-to-wire fashion going a one-turn mile to defeat eventual Grade 1 winner Tapit Trice.
Brown mentioned first-out maiden winner Sierra Leone as a possible contender for the $250,000 Remsen (G2) for juveniles going nine furlongs on Dec. 2 at the Big A. The son of Gun Runner bobbled after the break, raced in between horses down the backstretch, but was able to surge to a 1 1/4-length victory under little urging from Manny Franco. The win garnered a 71 Beyer speed figure from Daily Racing Form.
“I’m considering the Remsen,” Brown said. “He was very professional in his first time out.”
The Remsen offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers.
Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing and Peter Brant, Sierra Leone was a sale-topping $2.3 million purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale. He is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love.
In the $250,000 Demoiselle (G2) for juvenile fillies going nine furlongs Brown said he has Catherine Wheel under consideration following a third-out maiden score going a one-turn mile on November 3 here. The daughter of Into Mischief is owned by Richard Schermerhorn, Team Hanley, Thirty Year Farm, Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures. The Demoiselle offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
Brown will saddle Chili Flag and Faith in Humanity in Saturday’s $135,000 Forever Together for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles.
Klaravich Stables’ Faith in Humanity, by Lope de Vega, will try to make amends from an uncharacteristic sixth in an allowance optional claimer on September 17 over the Big A outer turf. The effort was her first start since capturing her 4-year-old debut in the Honey Fox (G3) on March 4 at Gulfstream Park, where she fended off a late rally from White Frost to win by a neck. As a 3-year-old, Faith in Humanity was a half-length winner of the Pebbles (G3) at Belmont at the Big A, defeating next-out Grade 1-winning stablemate Gina Romantica by a half-length.
Brown said he was puzzled by her uncharacteristic performance last out.
“I’m not sure why she stopped so abruptly like that,” Brown said. “We didn’t find anything wrong with her. I’m not sure what happened. She’s been training great, so we’re looking to get back on track here.”
Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Michael Kisber’s Chili Flag has finished no worse than third since joining Brown’s stable over the winter. The 4-year-old Cityscape chestnut earned her first stateside score in her third start in North America, defeating her eventual graded stakes-placed stablemate Idea Generation by 6 1/4 lengths in a first-level allowance in July at Belmont Park.
“It’s time to get her up to stakes level. She’s always trained like quite a nice horse,” Brown said.
