'I'm Not Going To Get Too Far Away': Brown Sticking Close To Blue Grass Victor Sierra Leone

Trainer Chad Brown usually is a man on the move, but for the time being he is going to be hanging around Keeneland.

“I’m not going to get too far away from this guy,” Brown said Sunday morning of Toyota Blue Grass (G1) winner Sierra Leone, who stamped himself as one of the favorites for the 150th running of the $5-million Kentucky Derby (G1) with his 1½-length victory Saturday in Keeneland’s most famous race.

Sierra Leone, owned by the partnership of Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg Limited, and Brook Smith, gave Brown his third Blue Grass victory. His previous Blue Grass winners were Good Magic in 2018 and Zandon in 2022.

Good Magic subsequently ran second in the Kentucky Derby; Zandon was third in the classic four year's later.

“Both of those ran well in the Derby,” Brown said. “They didn’t win, but they ran well.”

Brown plans to follow the same routine with Sierra Leone of one work at Keeneland before shipping to Churchill Downs and then one work over the track there prior to the Derby.

In addition to Sierra Leone, Brown figures to have a second Derby starter in Klaravich Stables’ Domestic Product. Winner of the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 9, Domestic Product is stabled at Payson Park training center in South Florida.

Brown also picked up a Kentucky Oaks (G1) starter Saturday when Klaravich’s Regulatory Risk ran second in Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct to pick up 50 points and be firmly ensconced in the top 14 point earners for the race.

“The one I really want to run in the Oaks is Ways and Means (for Klaravich),” Brown said. “She’s No. 15 in points now and I have been in that position before with Dunbar Road (in 2019). She didn’t get in and that just killed me, and then she went on to win the Alabama (G1).”

Following his runner-up effort in the Blue Grass, Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing, and Marc Detampel’s Just a Touch, also trained by Cox, was scheduled to go to Churchill to continue training for the Kentucky Derby.

Scheduled to go to Churchill on Wednesday is Blue Grass fourth-place finisher Dornoch.

“I may have shipped him in here a little too close to the race,” trainer Danny Gargan said of Dornoch’s Thursday arrival for owners West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing, and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables. “He ran good but got a little tired. He’ll run better next time.”

Gargan picked up a second Derby starter earlier Saturday when Society Man ran second in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct. Society Man picked up 50 points to move to 17th on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard for the race that is limited to the top 20 point earners and invitees.

Gargan is part-owner of Society Man with West Paces and GMP Stables.

“We are proud and excited,” Gargan said. “I only had 15-18 2-year-olds last year and only five that were not New York-breds. To have two in the Derby is pretty incredible.”

Society Man is scheduled to ship to Churchill on Wednesday.