SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though Chancer McPatrick won his first two-turn race on Thursday, taking the Curlin Stakes by a head over So Sandy, trainer Chad Brown said Friday that his initial inclination is to cut him back in distance for the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 23 rather than seek more ground in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers the same day.
The Jerkens is run at seven furlongs, the same distance at which Chancer McPatrick won last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful. The Travers is run at 1 1/4 miles.
Brown said he needs to talk to owner Sean Flanagan about it, but in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin, Chancer McPatrick “got a nice ground-saving trip and he was able to gut out a mile and an eighth win but if I had to pick right now, the Allen Jerkens I would rate higher than the Travers,” Brown said Friday.
Brown admitted to being surprised that Chancer McPatrick was able to beat his other horse, Strategic Focus, in the Curlin. Coming to the top of the stretch, Strategic Focus was in hand and seemingly ready to draw away under Flavien Prat, but the horse didn’t do that and finished third, beaten a half-length.
“He might need an equipment change because Prat said he went from 60 to zero in an instant,” said Brown, who added that a post-race endoscopic examination was clean. “He thought he was trying to time how much he wanted to save near the wire for the next one. He went from that to off the bridle. We were both just a bit shocked on that one.”
Chancer McPatrick and So Sandy, who lugged in a touch in deep stretch and bumped Chancer McPatrick, each earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. Strategic Focus got a 93.
So Sandy could be considered for the Pennsylvania Derby, trainer Cherie DeVaux said.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.