Chad Brown reaches 3,000 win milestone

• Chad Brown reaches 3,000 win milestone
• Sculcos Folly posts third straight win and 90+ BSF
• Hot Currency nets 84 BSF for NYSSS Fourstar Crook score
• Relaxx makes stateside debut in Listed Plenty of Grace
• Turf racing returns to the Big A on April 16

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown registered his 3,000th career win in style when Zulu Kingdom scored wire-to-wire in Friday’s Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile, at Keeneland.

With dual Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat aboard, the 4-year-old Ten Sovereigns ridgling returned from an eight-month layoff to post a three-quarter-length victory over One Stripe. It marked the second Grade 1 score for Zulu Kingdom, who captured the American Turf last year at Churchill Downs as part of a 9-7-0-0 career ledger – with eight of those starts for Brown and owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael J. Caruso.

“It was really special. I'll always remember it. It was great to do it in a prestigious race like the Maker's Mark and with a great horse that has been so consistent,” Brown said. “Aside from one start in the Breeders' Cup as a juvenile, he's crossed the finish line first every time I've run him. That's hard to do on turf when you have to make your own trip and run on various courses. He's a very rare horse. I'm so proud of him, he's become a bit of a barn favorite.”

Zulu Kingdom won his first start in France in June 2024 for trainer Andre Fabre before being purchased privately and transferred to Brown, reeling off wins later that year in the Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. He added wins last year in the Columbia at Tampa Bay Downs and the Grade 3 Manila at the Spa where he also crossed the wire first in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame but was disqualified and placed fourth.

Brown, 47, boasts 36 individual training titles on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit, and has topped the table as NYRA’s yearly leading trainer on nine occasions [2015-22, 2024].

The native of Mechanicville, N.Y. trained his first winner in 2007 and has won five Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Trainer [2016-19, 2024] in his career. He has compiled 19 Breeders’ Cup victories in addition to victories by Cloud Computing [2017] and Early Voting [2022] in the Grade 1 Preakness.

Brown credited his team members across all divisions for their contributions to the milestone.

“It's an achievement shared by so many team members past and present as well as our clients, jockeys and horses. It takes a lot over 18 1/2-years now of training horses and there's so many important people in those groups I've mentioned and I'm very appreciative for that," Brown said.

Brown added victory 3,001 and yet another Grade 1 to his ledger on Saturday at Keeneland when Segesta dead-heated for victory with Expensive Queen in the Jenny Wiley.

He will look to expand his stakes account on Friday at the Big A when he sends out the formidable trio of Oversubscribed, Accent and Al Jafara in the Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace in search of a record-extending sixth victory in the first turf stakes of the year on the NYRA circuit.

“I look forward to the start of turf racing in New York. It's a fresh course and we rested a lot of our horses for the winter,” Brown said. “I have a nice group of fillies entered, so we'll see.”

Among his many standout performers over the years are 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, 2024 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic-winner Sierra Leone and multiple Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire turf mares Sistercharlie and Lady Eli.

Brown, who graduated Cornell with a degree in animal science in 2001, worked for Hall of Famers Shug McGaughey and Bobby Frankel before going out on his own in 2007. He showed the way as North America’s leading trainer by earnings on six occasions [2016-19, 2022, and 2024] and has rapidly progressed through milestones, saddling his 1,000th winner at Saratoga Race Course on August 24, 2016, with Mr Maybe and his 2,000th career win on August 6, 2021 at the Spa with Digital Software.

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Sculcos Folly posts third straight win and 90+ BSF

Michael Dubb’s Sculcos Folly dominated by 8 1/2 lengths in Saturday’s $200,000 Mind Your Biscuits division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., it was the third consecutive win for Sculcos Folly following a local six-furlong starter optional claimer by 9 3/4 lengths in January and the one-turn mile state-bred Gander last out by 5 3/4 lengths on March 7. All three scores came with jockey Jaime Rodriguez up, and Saturday’s final time of 1:16.85 earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure, his third straight 90-plus with a career-high 92 for the Gander.

“He came out of it very good,” said Blake Dutrow, assistant trainer to Dutrow, Jr. “It didn’t seem to take too much out of him, like he barely drinks any water or blows after the race. He’s been a pleasant surprise. He didn’t really show us too much in the mornings, but in the afternoons, it’s a whole different ballgame from him. He’s done everything in stride, maturing, and if you see him, he looks picture perfect.”

After a misfire on debut in July at Saratoga Race Course, the Redesdale dark bay has won five-of-six starts with his miss a close second in an optional claimer in January at Laurel Park ahead of his current streak.

“We keep putting him in a little tougher competition every time,” Dutrow said. “He broke bad at Laurel, which made his second place one of his most impressive races based on what he had to overcome. Yesterday, he was able to sit off the speed which shows he is maturing. I don’t think Rick or the owner could be any happier with him.”

Bred in New York by Lannister Holdings, Sculcos Folly was a $70,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the 10-time winning Johannesburg mare Cool Johanna, who also produced stakes-placed winners D’fever and Zolo.

Dubb said post-race that Sculcos Folly will now likely target the seven-furlong $200,000 Mike Lee for state-bred sophomores on June 3 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

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Hot Currency nets 84 BSF for NYSSS Fourstar Crook score

Winning Move Stable, Sanford H. Robbins, Lady Sheila Stable, Silverwood Stables and IEE Racing’s Hot Currency earned a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for her 8 1/4-length trouncing of Saturday’s $200,000 Fourstar Crook division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by current spring meet-leader Linda Rice, the New York-bred daughter of Central Banker had finished a game second in her prior two starts – including the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue in December here – and broke through at the stakes level for the first time with her stalk-and-pounce score under spring meet-leading rider Manny Franco. After sitting one length off the pace through the first quarter-mile, the bay filly responded to asking with ease and drew clear through the latter stages to win geared down in a final time of 1:17.32.

“She came back very well and we’re very pleased with her effort,” Rice said. “We had planned to run her a month ago as a prep for this race, but the race didn’t fill, so we just trained into this race. She ran very well.”

Hot Currency has made each of her six starts in state-bred or state-sired company and finished second on debut in August at Saratoga Race Course. She graduated by 6 1/2 lengths at third asking in a local maiden tilt going 6 1/2 furlongs in November when adding blinkers and followed with her 1 1/4-length second to Braverthanubelieve in the Fifth Avenue and a three-quarter-length second to Pinky Brier in a local optional claimer in January ahead of yesterday’s performance.

“It’s been a tough winter to train through in New York, but she has weathered the storm quite well and I think she’s just going to keep improving,” Rice said.

The next logical spot on the stakes schedule for Hot Currency is the seven-furlong $200,000 Bouwerie for state-bred sophomore fillies on June 3 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.

“An 84 is a pretty good number, so I think we’ll point her towards the Bouwerie,” Rice concluded.

Bred in New York by BHMFR, Hot Currency was a $200,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the winning Spring At Last mare Calidez. She earned $110,000 for her Fourstar Crook victory while improving her record to 6-2-3-0 and returning $3.68 for a $2 win bet as the 4-5 post-time favorite.

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Relaxx makes stateside debut in Listed Plenty of Grace

West Point Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, LJSS Thoroughbreds and Michael Kisber’s Relaxx will look to settle into American racing when making her stateside and barn debut for trainer Miguel Clement in Friday’s Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace, a one-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 4-year-old City Light bay made 12 starts in her native France including a trio of Group 3 placings over soft footing to cap her time with trainers Carlos and Yann Lerner. Those on-the-board group efforts include thirds in the Prix Chloe in July and Prix Bertrand de Tarragon last out in September, both about nine furlongs at Chantilly, surrounding a second in the Prix de Lieurey going about one-mile in August at Deauville.

“She has plenty of class,” Clement said. “We are hoping for a good performance. She was a very consistent and top class filly in France. We are hoping she is able to kick off her American campaign on a positive note. If you look at her form, she is amazingly consistent. I’m not quite sure she is 100 percent ready, she could benefit from an extra week or two, but there’s no more point in waiting, the race will bring us forward. It is time to run.”

The Plenty of Grace is the first turf stakes of the year on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit.

“We are big fans of NYRA and try to support the program as much as possible,” Clement said.

Another upcoming turf stakes at Aqueduct is the Grade 3, $175,000 Fort Marcy at nine-for older horses, on May 2. Clement said he is heading there with multiple Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run and dual Grade 1-winner Deterministic, who scratched from Friday’s Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland.

“Carson’s Run and Deterministic are both pointing to the Fort Marcy,” said Clement. “[Deterministic] was just a little slow at Keeneland and I wasn’t 100 percent satisfied in the days leading up to it. The horse has a lot of energy and life to him, so we’ll re-group and point him to the Fort Marcy.”

St. Elias Stable, Vicarage Stable, Ken Langone and Steven Duncker’s Deterministic won last year’s Fort Marcy in a then course-record 1:45.70 with Carson’s Run landing second for West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey. Clement added that the pair may be joined this year by newcomer and dual group-winner Ridari - a 4-year-old Churchill colt out of the Motivator mare Ridasiyna, who won the 2012 Group 1 Prix de l'Opera.

Moyglare Stud Farm’s Irish homebred Bellezza may also launch a title defense in the 11-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Sheepshead Bay on turf for older fillies and mares, run one day before the Fort Marcy.

“We should have a presence in the Sheepshead Bay,” Clement said. “Bellezza may be joined by another nice filly named Kiamba. We are going to be live in your [NYRA’s] stakes.”

The dual Group 3-placed Kiamba is a 4-year-old daughter of Australia out of the Danehill Dancer mare Kikonga.

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Turf racing returns to the Big A on April 16

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host its first turf races of 2026 on Thursday, April 16, with four grass events slated for the eight-race program, at Aqueduct Racetrack. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

The start of turf racing at the Big A was delayed two weeks due to the impact of heavy snowfall in January and February paired with continued cold overnight temperatures in March. Despite the start of the 2026 NYRA turf season being pushed back to April 16, turf racing is still scheduled to commence earlier than in both 2024 and 2025.

Thursday’s grass action begins in Race 4 with a six-furlong maiden sprint on the outer turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up led by the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Beneficence, who will exit the outermost post 7 under Edgard Zayas.

Beneficence earned a field-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure last out in her turf debut when a rallying one-length third at second asking in a five-furlong maiden sprint on Valentine’s Day, at Gulfstream Park.

A Kentucky homebred for St. Elias Stable, the Into Mischief sophomore, out of the Street Cry mare Playtime, is a half-sister to the Pletcher-trained graded stakes-winning turfer Jouster. The well-related filly’s second dam is 2002 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Storm Flag Flying, while her third dam is multiple Grade 1-winner My Flag and fourth dam is Hall of Famer Personal Ensign, the 13-for-13 great for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and subsequent Reine-De-Course broodmare.

“We're looking forward to next week and kicking off the turf season,” said Stu Hampson, the New York-based assistant to Pletcher. “She has a true turf hoof and is very well bred - a half-sister to Jouster and [stakes-placed] Classicist - that whole family. We're looking forward to getting her going again. We've had her up here a little while and biding our time waiting for the grass. Hopefully, this should hit her right between the eyes.”

Beneficence worked a half-mile in 50.85 seconds Thursday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

“She had a very easy work,” Hampson said. “She's a horse we don't ask a lot for on the dirt knowing that she appreciates the grass. We just let her go through her paces. She's fit, we're just trying to keep her happy and get her over there the best we can.”

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has entered a pair of contenders in Academia [post 1, Manny Franco] and Tax Holiday [post 4, Dylan Davis] for Race 5, a one-mile maiden special weight over the inner turf for sophomore fillies. Brown has also entered Pomerance for the main-track only.

Peter Brant’s Kentucky-homebred Academia, by Into Mischief, made her first two starts over the Saratoga Race Course main track before switching to turf last out when sixth traveling 7 1/2-furlongs on January 30 at Gulfstream.

Academia is out of the Brown-trained and Brant-campaigned Wow Cat, who won the 2018 Grade 1 Beldame Invitational over the Belmont Park dirt.

Klaravich Stables’ Tax Holiday failed to threaten when a distant ninth as the mutuel favorite in her February 7 debut traveling 1 1/16-miles over the Tampa Bay Downs turf. The $242,044 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Street Cry mare Secret Soul – a half-sister to a pair of Galileo-sired multiple Group 1-winners in Mogul and Japan, as well as the multiple Grade 1-placed Secret Gesture.

An overflow field is assembled for Race 7, a six-furlong outer turf allowance for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, featuring the seasonal debut of JADS Racing’s Long Legged Queen [post 6, Sahin Civaci].

Trained by Joe Lee, the 5-year-old Daddy Long Legs mare boasts a 6-1-2-0 ledger over the Big A turf led by a rallying head score in a six-furlong open starter optional-claiming event here in October. She exited that event to dead-heat for second with returning rival One Last Knock [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche] in a state-bred allowance sprint over firm footing on November 15 to close out her campaign.

The Keri Brion-trained One Last Knock, a 4-year-old Goldencents bay, graduated at second asking against fellow state-breds in August sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over good Spa turf. She has since completed the exacta in a trio of Big A turf sprints and will also be making her seasonal debut.

Highway Harmony [post 5, Edgard Zayas] won a pair of claimers over the Gulfstream turf this winter, wiring a one-mile event on January 2 before a stalking score last out traveling 7 1/2-furlongs on February 1 for trainer Jorge Abreu.

Another overflow field awaits in Race 8 to close out the card featuring the career debuts of All of It [post 4, Manny Franco], Miss Apples [post 8, Jaime Rodriguez] and Enterprisingly [post 9, Christopher Elliott] in a one-mile inner turf maiden for New York-bred sophomore fillies.

Jump Sucker Stable’s New York homebred All of It trained at both Belmont and Saratoga last year and has worked into her debut with trainer Miguel Clement’s Payson Park division in Florida.

The Mendelssohn dark bay is out of the dual stakes-winning Take Charge Indy mare Indy’s Lady – a half-sister to dual stakes-winner Filibustin and the Clement-trained six-time stakes winner Senbei, who captured the 2024 Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint at Belmont at the Big A.

Miss Apples, a grey daughter of Liam’s Map, was a $200,000 purchase from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale for Dave Portnoy’s Go Go Greys Stable. She is out of the turf-winning Street Sense mare French Empire while her second dam is the Grade 3-placed turfer Aquitaine.

Trained by Amelia Green, Miss Apples has worked extensively over the Belmont Park dirt training track for her debut.

Windylea Farm’s homebred Enterprisingly, by Maxfield, is out of the dual stakes-placed Midnight Lute mare Estilo Femenino – a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Runnin’ Ray and multiple stakes-placed turfer Sounds Like a Plan. Her stakes-winning third dam, Well Dressed, produced 2009 Group 1 Dubai World Cup-winner Well Armed.

The David Duggan trainee has posted a series of works over the Belmont dirt training track for her debut.

Of the experienced runners in the field, the Tom Morley-trained Morning Prayer [post 1, Dylan Davis] landed a half-length second here in her turf debut in October traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm footing under returning rider Dylan Davis

Turf stakes action will kick off on Friday with the Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace, a one-mile turf route for older fillies and mares slated for Race 7 on the eight-race program, which features three other turf events.