The 2010 Saratoga race meet has gotten off to a hot start. Not only with the temperature mark this summer and steamy weather, but with a young trainer with local roots and a veteran handicapper with a renaissance year the first week.
Who would think that this early into the Saratoga meet, that a young and upcoming trainer with ties locally would be out pacing veteran trainers like; Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott and Nick Zito. Well, the answer is yes and this native of Mechanicville , New York had a great teacher to learn the ropes in the thoroughbred training game.
Chad Brown; a twenty three year old trainer who has had several horses race at Saratoga the past three years, has really stepped it up a notch the first week of the young Saratoga season. Learning under the tutelage of the late great Hall of Fame trainer; Bobby Frankel, Chad was his assistant and saddled the filly; Ginger Punch for Frankel in the 2007 Breeder’s Cup Distaff to victory. After going out of his own the following year, he would saddle his own Breeder’s Cup winner when; Maram would be victorious in the 2008 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf race. This marked big things for this young man from the Capital District and what better place to showcase himself than on thoroughbred racing’s biggest stage; Saratoga.
With the first full week of Saratoga in the books on Thursday evening, Chad Brown has saddled 9 horses with 5 victories and a second & third place finish. That’s better after the first week than legendary trainer; Todd Pletcher and with seven less starters. All things are pointing to a break through Saratoga meet this year, as he has added new people to his staff including a former Chuck Simon assistant and exercise rider; Cherie De Vaux. I’ve spoken to Cherie since she joined the Chad Brown team and she is very excited about the success that this young trainer has had in such a short time and his start to the Saratoga meet is just the signal of good things to come for this knowledgeable and young trainer.
All the nay sayers who have put down this race meet before it started, may have to “eat crow” if the quality of racing and large fields continues through Labor Day. NYRA racing secretary; PJ Campo has done an excellent job with full fields and the influx of Kentucky based trainers. I had my doubts with the weeks leading up to the start of the meet, but I can truly say that the first full week of racing upstate has been very good. Speaking for myself, it has been truly one for the record books.
With the first week of the Saratoga racing in the books, I’ve have set a personal handicapping mark for the beginning of the meet with 22 winners out of 58 races run for 38% success rate and a $2.00 wagering return of $142.60 (+26.60). I’ve been connecting on all cylinders also with my “Horse to Beat” play of the day which is also featured each weekday morning on 1490am WCSS at 8:05am with Rebecca & Mike on their morning show. Five selections have been made (with one scratched horse) and the results so far have been three winners and a second place finish. It was been a renaissance for myself after 22 years of handicapping the Saratoga meet and 13 of them with the Amsterdam Recorder. Whether it’s a young upcoming star trainer like Chad Brown or the grizzly veteran handicapper such as myself…..Saratoga 2010 has been “two thumbs up” so far!
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