THERE WAS BUZZ in the press box that this young, locally raised trainer, henceforth referred to by his given name of Chad Brown, had a horse in the first race. Naturally, all the local beat guys from the papers were glued to this like it was the Kentucky Derby.
Brown won that race with Star Player and we all stormed down there. I asked the trite and horrible question: How does it feel to be leading trainer of Saratoga?
I know, I know. It’s cringe-worthy. But nobody knew how good he’d be. How could we? This is it! Your only shot! Bask in it while you can say you’re the leading trainer at your home track! See you at Aqueduct Inner! Sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge the “local” guy is world class until, of course, he shows just how elite he is. Later that year he’d win a Breeders’ Cup race.
So, on that day back in 2008, Brown was tickled with the win and it launched him toward the Saratoga record books. These days he looks the same as he did 10 years ago, the close-cropped hair, the high forehead, eyes in a semi-perma-squint, earnest, thoughtful, the suit making him look like an upper-level VP at Goldman-Sachs.
The difference now is that in the ensuing 10 years he went from the late Bobby Frankel’s wunderkind assistant trainer and local feel-good story to the preeminent conditioner in the country winning Breeders’ Cup races, Triple Crown races and making Saratoga—the land ruled by 13-time leading trainer Todd Pletcher—into a boxing ring fit for two heavyweights.
Brown is as sure a bet as there is in the sport. Ever since hanging out his shingle late in 2007, he has been in the money no lower than 50 percent of the time. His win percentage has never dropped below 20 percent and his earnings have increased year after year since his very first season. He appears to be off pace in 2018 to surpass his $26.2 million season from a year ago, but a strong Saratoga, fall, and Breeders’ Cup could put him right back in the mix to keep his earnings up.
History’s Battle of Saratoga took place in Schuylerville, but the second coming takes place on the track as Brown and Pletcher duel like Alydar and Affirmed. The Saratoga condition book caters so perfectly to their horses—turf and two-year-olds—that the meet might as well be named after the two trainers.
In 2017, Pletcher nosed Brown by one win, taking the meet 40-39. Forty wins is a one win per day of the meet. Uncanny when you factor in the quality racing that takes place at the Spa.
“I’ve never won 40 and it’s hard to do. I told Chad last year when he did it that it was a hell of an accomplishment. Those guys are tough to beat. We exceeded expectations and I’m proud of it,” Pletcher said in a 2017 NYRA release.
The next highest trainer? Linda Rice, the 2009 champ and only woman to do so, with 16.
In 2016, Brown dominated beating Pletcher 40-31, setting the new record for wins with 40. In third place? Kiaran McLaughlin, the 2008 champ, with 13 wins.
Pletcher held off Brown in 2015 with the more sensible tally of 34-31. In third place? Bill Mott with 16.
You get the idea. Saratoga has turned into a 40-day match race.
The pair of trainers, as strong an A-storyline as they are, fail to overshadow the meet as a whole. No trainer, horse, or jockey is bigger than the Spa, even if that means Justify, this year’s Triple Crown winner, makes his return in the Travers Stakes.
All Bob Baffert does is train Travers winners. He’s on a two-Travers streak that started with Arrogate and West Coast. This year Justify could make that three in a row for him and Mike Smith.
If that scenario comes to pass, Brown will likely be there with his Two-Year-Old Champion Good Magic, a horse twice thwarted by Justify during the Triple Crown.
And to think, in a sense, it all started 10 years ago, as Brown got that small taste of leading trainer that would pave the path to being one of the greatest trainers to ever knot up a tie and leg up a jock.
Brendan O’Meara is a freelance writer and author of Six Weeks in Saratoga. He also hosts The Creative Nonfiction Podcast.
