Chad Brown (horse trainer)
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Chad C. Brown (born December 18, 1978) is an American racehorse trainer. Brown is regarded as one of the elite trainers in the world, having won four consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in the United States 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.[2] In 2019, he also achieved the highest position in the World Training Standings according to the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary (TRC) Global Rankings,[3] becoming the first and only American trainer to be recognized as the World's Number One Trainer. Brown has achieved success with multiple Grade I victories on dirt, including two Preakness Stakes wins with Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting in 2022, and narrowly missing a Kentucky Derby victory in 2024 with Sierra Leone. Despite all his success on dirt and with colts, Brown is particularly renowned for his expertise with turf horses[4] and with fillies and mares.[5] Over his career, Brown has trained thirteen Eclipse Award winners including Stacelita, Big Blue Kitten, Lady Eli, Flintshire, Goodnight Olive, and Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.[6]
Background
[edit]Brown was born and raised in Mechanicville, a small city in upstate New York, and became interested in horses at an early age during family visits to nearby Saratoga race track.[7] While in high school, he worked with Standardbreds at Saratoga Raceway. While studying animal science at Cornell University,[5] he had a summer job with Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. After graduation, Brown stayed with McGaughey for some time,[8] then obtained an internship with veterinarian Steve Allday.[9]
Training career
[edit]2002: Brown began his career in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry, working as an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel.[9] Brown came into the national spotlight during the 2007 Breeders' Cup, when Frankel returned to California to care for his ailing dog, and Brown stepped in to saddle Ginger Punch to a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.[10]
November 2007: Brown went out on his own with a modest stable of ten horses, five from Ken and Sarah Ramsey and five by Gary and Mary West. He secured his first win with his second starer, Dual Jewels, on November 23, but the horse was claimed, reducing the stable to nine. He then spent the winter meet at Oaklawn Park and later moved to Keeneland, where he achieved his second win.[8]
2008: Despite initially being denied stall space, Brown competed in his first Saratoga Race Course meet. His first entrant, Star Player, won the first race on opening day. Brown finished the meet with 6 win from 18 starters, including the debut of the two-year-old filly Maram.[8] Maram went on to win the Miss Grillo Stakes (Grade 3) at Belmont Park, marking Brown's first graded stakes victory.[11] Maram then cinched earned Maram the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park, giving Brown his first Breederer's Cup win at odds 11–1 with a purse of over $1,000,000. This victory was especially poignant as it coincided with the burial of Brown's grandfather, Elmer Maynard, in Mechanicville.[12]
2011: Brown took over the training of Stacelita, a mare previously based in Europe. Under his guidance, she won the Beverly D. and Flower Bowl Invitational on her way to winning the Eclipse Award for champion turf female.[5]
2012: Another notable trainee, the French-Bred mare Zagora, transferred to Brown's barn and won several major stakes, including the 2012 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. She would become the second Eclipse winner trained by Brown when named 2012 champion turf female.[13]
2013: Brown ranked third among North American trainers by earnings,[14] with highlights including Big Blue Kitten's victories in the Sword Dancer Invitational and United Nations Handicap, and Real Solution's win in the Arlington Million.[11]
2014: Brown's success continued with three Breeders' Cup victories: Lady Eli in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Dayatthespa in the Filly and Mare Turf, and Bobby's Kitten in the Turf Sprint. Brown was a finalist for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer,[4] and Dayatthespa was named Champion Turf Female.[6]
2015: At the Breeders' Cup, Brown earned wins with both Stephanie's Kitten in the Filly and Mare Turf, and Wavell Avenue in the Filly and Mare Sprint.[1] Big Blue Kitten also acheived several victories including setting a course record in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, finishing second in the Arlington Million, and third in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Big Blue Kitten's consistency would earn him the Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Male.[15]
2016: Brown took over the training of Juddmonte Farm's Flintshire, previously campaigned internationally by André Fabre. Flintshire won the Manhattan Handicap (G1) in his first start under Brown's guidance, helping Brown secure the trainer title for the Belmont spring/summer meet.[16] On August 24, Brown earned his 1,000th career win with Mr Maybe at Saratoga.[17] He ended the Saratoga meet with a record 40 wins the trainers title at Saratoga with a record 40 wins, capped by a victory in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) with Practical Joke, marking his first graded stakes win on the dirt at Saratoga.[18] Brown led all American trainers in earnings and graded stakes wins, earning him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.[19]
2017: Brown won his first Triple Crown race with Cloud Computing in the Preakness Stakes.[20] Later that year, he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Good Magic, who won the Eclipse Award for Champion two-year-old colt.[6] Lady Eli one of Brown's top trainees also won the Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Female. Brown received his second Eclipse Award[6] after his trainees won 16 Grade I races and earned over $26 million in purse money.[21]
2018: Brown had an exceptional year, winning 20 Grade 1 races, the most of any trainer in North America. Additionally, he secured a total of 47 graded wins. His stable amassed $27,546,057 in purse earnings,[14] the second-highest ever recorded by a trainer in a single calendar year. He also surpassed his own previous record for wins by a trainer in a single Saratoga Race Course meet with 41 victories. These remarkable achievements earned Brown his third consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.[6]
At Breeders' Cup, Newspaperofrecord concluded an unbeaten season by winning the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Sistercharlie triumphed in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf This victory marked Brown's fourth win in that specific race, the most by any trainer. Sistercharlie outstanding performance throughout the year earned her the Eclipse Award for Female Turf Horse.[6]
2019: Brown set a North American record with $31,112,144 in earnings, the highest ever for a trainer in a single year.[22] His achievements included three more Breeders' Cup victories, bringing his career total to fifteen, placing him third all-time among trainers. Significant wins in 2019 included Bricks and Mortar's victories in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), the Manhattan Stakes (G!), and the Arlington Million (G1), solidifying Bricks and Mortar's status as the winner of he Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.[6] Brown also trained Uni, who won the Eclipse Award for Turf Female.[6] His outstanding performance throughout the year earned him his fourth consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.[6] Brown was also ranked #1 in the TRC Global Rankings,[3] becoming the first American trainer to achieve the distinction of being the World's Number One Trainer.
2020: The year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown trained Rushing Fall, who won the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Race Course and the Diana Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Rushing Fall's success throughout the year contributed to her being named the Eclipse Award winner for Champion Turf Female.[6] Brown also won the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Race Course with Uni. His stable earned $16,596,956 in earnings and he finished fourth in the North America Trainer Standings.[14]
2021: Brown achieved a significant milestone in his training career by recording his 2,000th career win with Digital Software at Saratoga Race Course on August 7. Over the course of the year, Brown accumulated seven Grade 1 wins and a total of 33 graded stakes victories. Notable Grade 1 achievements included the Turf Classic Stakes and the Manhattan Stakes with Domestic Spending, as well as the Acorn Stakes with Search Results.
Brown also won his sixth consecutive training title at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, securing 32 victories, including two Grade 1 wins on Belmont Stakes Day. Additionally, Brown was a finalist in the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and finished third in the Trainer’s North America standings, with his stable earning $22,213,740 in purse money.[14]
2022: Brown won the 147th Preakness Stakes with Early Voting, marking his second victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown. He also secured a win in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes with Zandon, who subsequently finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Additionally, Brown won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with Goodnight Olive, increasing his total Breeders' Cup wins to 16. Brown was ranked number one in the North America Training rankings, leading the United States in earnings with a total of $31,057,362.[14]
2023: Brown trained nine individual Grade 1 winners and secured two Breeders’ Cup victories: the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Hard to Justify and the Breeder’s Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with Goodnight Olive, marking her second consecutive win in this race. These victories brought Brown’s total Breeders’ Cup wins to 18. Blazing Sevens also finished second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) the second leg of the Triple Crown. Additionally, Brown was a finalist for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and led his horses to earnings totaling $25,715,901, finishing third in the North America Trainer Rankings.[14]
2024:Brown's horse, Sierra Leone, was part of a three-way photo finish in the Kentucky Derby, ultimately placing second. Brown also achieved a record ninth win in the Diana Stakes with Whitebeam, marking her second consecutive victory in this event. As of August 6, Brown is ranked second in the North America Trainer Rankings, with earnings totaling $16,532,043 for the year. His career earnings have reached $291,815,455.
Records Held
[edit]Year-end rankings
[edit]| North American Ranking[1] | ||
| Year | By Earnings | By Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 4,908[23] | |
| 2008 | 146[24] | |
| 2009 | 112[25] | |
| 2010 | 33 | |
| 2011 | 16 | 50 |
| 2012 | 5 | 17 |
| 2013 | 3 | 15 |
| 2014 | 2 | 15 |
| 2015 | 2 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1 | 9 |
| 2017 | 1 | 7 |
| 2018 | 1 | 5 |
| 2019 | 1 | 5 |
| 2020 | 4 | 8 |
| 2021 | 3 | 8 |
| 2022 | 1 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Chad Brown Statistics". Equibase. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Ehalt, Bob (23 January 2020). "Brown Earns Fourth Straight Outstanding Trainer Award". Blood-Horse LLC. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Chad Brown takes over as the world's number one trainer". TRC. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ a b Shulman, Lenny. "Brown Looks to Build on BC Success". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b c "Brown's Beauties". drf.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Eclipse Awards History". NTRA.com.
- ^ "Inside Track: Hometown Hero". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ a b c "No. 2 With a Bullet". saratogaliving.com. 30 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Chad C. Brown". America's Best Racing. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ Shulman, Lenny. "Brown Hopes For Awesome Encore". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Chad Brown Bio". www.keeneland.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Marr, Esther. "Maram Wins Juv Fillies Turf Nail-Biter". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "Zagora Named Champion Female Turf Horse". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "EQUIBASE".
- ^ Gantz, Tracy. "Big Blue Kitten Stands Tallest as Turf Male". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "José Ortiz, Chad Brown Win Titles at Belmont". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ Grening, David. "Mr Maybe wins John's Call Stakes, gives Brown 1,000th win". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ^ "Chad Brown ends "dream" meet with Hopeful win". timesunion.com. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ Wincze Hughes, Alicia. "Breakthrough Eclipse for Outstanding Trainer Brown". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ Drape, Joe (20 May 2017). "Always Dreaming's Triple Crown Hopes End as Cloud Computing Takes the Preakness". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
- ^ Wilkin, Tim (26 January 2018). "Chad Brown wins Eclipse Award as top trainer". Times Union. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "2019 By The Numbers: North American Horse Racing's First $30-Million Earners". Paulick Report. 1 January 2020.
- ^ "2007 Trainer Rankings". Equibase. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ "2008 Trainer Ranking". Equibase. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ "2009 Trainer Ranking". Equibase. Retrieved 17 July 2016.