Brown Sends Out Three in Bid for First Saratoga Oaks

Given all of the major filly and mare turf stakes that trainer Chad Brown has captured since starting out in 2007, it's hard to believe that he has yet to appear in the winner's circle after the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-old fillies. Perhaps the stakes' recent inception in 2019 is the answer, but nevertheless, the five-time Eclipse Award recipient and 11-time winner of the prestigious Diana Stakes (G1T) on turf for older fillies and mares will try to erase that goose egg when he sends out three starters in the Aug. 7 edition of the Spa Oaks at Saratoga Race Course. "All three have an opportunity to move up in this race," Brown said. Topping the trio is Michael Dubb, William Lawrence, The Elkstone Group, and Michael Kisber's Fitz Right, who won the June 5 Wonder Again Stakes (G2T) on grass over 1 1/16 miles for a third straight win. The Charlatan filly then finished third in the 1 1/8-mile Belmont Oaks (G1T) over the Saratoga lawn. She stretches out further in Friday's race. "Maybe the 1 3/16 miles is a touch far for her," Brown said about the Saratoga Oaks. "But when I looked at the prospective field and saw that (Belmont Oaks winner Kensington Lane) was not running, I figured let's give it a try." Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Just Aloof showed great promise last year, winning the 1-mile Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar in her second career start for Brown. But the daughter of Justify is winless in three 2026 starts, most recently seventh in the Belmont Oaks. "She's had two good works in a row. I'm looking to get her on turf with a little more give in the ground, and with the recent rain the course has changed a bit, which I am very happy about," Brown said. "I want to give her another chance because she hasn't come back to form since the win at Del Mar and she worked well for this." Brown is also sending out Klaravich Stable's Consensus View (GB). The Frankel (GB) filly made her lone start in a debut win at Aqueduct Racetrack, leaving her as the most inexperienced of the eight entrants. But Brown has done well in the past with jumping debut winners into graded stakes company-a move he made successfully with Just Aloof in the Jimmy Durante. "Consensus View is a staying horse, and she's only 3. There's not a lot of opportunity to run in long turf races until you turn 4 in this country," Brown said. "She was able to win first time out, even though I thought she needed the race, which is impressive. She came home fast in a mile-and-three-sixteenths race at Aqueduct on a course with some give in it, which is what we are seeing now. It's a big ask, but I don't see a lot of other options for her. I am not afraid of doing this. If the horse is of high quality and has a future, there's more of an upside than a downside in doing this." The main threat to the Brown trio in Friday's field of eight is Frank Ferrogine, Richard Rendina, Nick Coniglio, and Greywoods Farms' Faithful Departed, second in the Belmont Oaks and the 9-5 favorite in the Saratoga Oaks. The daughter of Yoshida (JPN) trained by Grant Forster finished a half-length ahead of Fitz Right. Mark Dobbin's Imaginationthelady is another contender, having won a pair of grade 2s.