Anyone perusing the stakes histories of turf races run in New York for the past two decades will see the name of Chad Brown, over and over again, in the column denoting the winning trainer. Some might think, "How can that be?"
But the record books don't lie. The future Hall of Famer, who took out his trainer's license late in 2007, often holds the title as the winningest trainer in many of these graded grass events, and the Aug. 29 Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course is among them.
Brown has two runners in the 1-mile inner turf race for 3-year-old fillies, Naomis and Deep Learning. He is in pursuit of a record-extending seventh victory in the $400,000 race which drew a field of nine.
At his Saratoga barn three days before the Lake Placid, Brown was asked if he ever takes for granted his domination of these types of races.
"It never gets old and I appreciate it," he responded. "Usually year to year we have different horses. So there is always a fresh look at it and a challenge to try to win.
"It's nice to look back for just a moment and appreciate that I didn't realize our team was able to win this prestigious race so many times with this many different horses. I might peek down to the previous winners and something will come back to me, a memory or something. It's nice to know we have had success in the (Lake Placid). We know how to win it, and we have a couple of fresh horses for this one."
Klaravich Stables' Deep Learning is coming off a runner-up finish in the Lake George Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/16 miles following a nine-month layoff. The daughter of Cairo Prince seeks her first graded victory.
"This is a little short for her. This race has now been moved to a mile (since 2025)," Brown said. "I'm running her because she has run well at Saratoga, and I'm trying to get her to the Queen Elizabeth (at Keeneland). I don't see another way to do it. She'll have to get (going) to get there going a mile; I think she's more of a mile-and-a-sixteenth, mile-and-an-eighth horse."
Naomis makes her stateside debut after winning a 1-mile group 2 race in France at the end of May. Now competing for Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Thirty Year Racing, and Michael Caruso, the daughter of City Light has been working steadily over the turf this summer for her new trainer.
"This filly has the look of a good miler, but I think she will stretch out after this. I think for her first start in America, I didn't want to run her farther than a mile. I've been targeting this for a while with her."
Another top contender is Queen of Hawaii, a group winner as a 2-year-old in Ireland who is coming off a gutsy win in an allowance optional claimer earlier in the Saratoga meet.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 29, 2026, Race 10Entries: Lake Placid S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Queen of Hawaii (IRE) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Philip Antonacci 2/1 2 2Kokomotion (KY) Edgard J. Zayas 120 D. Whitworth Beckman 12/1 3 3Flowerhead (IRE) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Charlie Clover 15/1 4 4Deep Learning (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Chad C. Brown 4/1 5 5Naomis (FR) Flavien Prat 124 Chad C. Brown 3/1 6 6Oscar Bound (KY) Shaun Bridgmohan 120 Melanie Giddings 30/1 7 7Nonconsecutivetrms (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Brendan P. Walsh 12/1 8 8Ultimate Love (FL) Paco Lopez 120 Michael J. Trombetta 8/1 9 9East Jabip (IRE) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1
