Trainer Chad Brown looks to break record in Racing Hall of Fame stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will flex his turf muscles Friday

at Saratoga when he sends out three solid contenders — Appraise, Mischievous Angel, and Carl Spackler — as he looks for a record-equaling seventh victory in the Grade 2, $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, a one-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds. The race was originally scheduled for Aug. 4 before being postponed because of heavy rain.

Brown, who is one victory shy of Hall of Famer Bill Mott’s record, has enjoyed previous success in the Hall of Fame with Big Blue Kitten (2011), Takeover Target (2015), Camelot Kitten (2016), Bricks and Mortar (2017), Raging Bull (2018), and Public Sector (2021).

Klaravich Stables’ Appraise (post 5, Flavien Prat, 8-1) broke his maiden in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint here last July ahead of a fourth-place finish in the Skidmore that August over firm Spa turf. He finished a distant second to returning rival Mysterious Night in the Grade 1 Summer, a one-turn mile in September at Woodbine Racetrack to close out his juvenile campaign.

“We rested him last year with sore shins after the race in Canada and the horse came back fine. We were just patient with him,” Brown said. “He’s grown a bit and I’m really pleased with the way the horse has developed physically.”

Appraise made a triumphant seasonal debut on July 8 at Belmont, posting a prominent three-quarter length score in a seven-furlong turf allowance against older company that garnered a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Peter Brant and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ impressive maiden winner Mischievous Angel (post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 10-1) earned a three-quarter length debut win in a six-furlong maiden special weight on June 17 over firm Belmont turf. The stylish score garnered an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He only has the one start at a sprint. He has to handle two turns, so we’ll see,” Brown said. “His number was very fast, so I gave him time from that race to get over it and just pointed him right to a stakes — primarily because he can run against straight 3-year-olds.”

The well-regarded Carl Spackler (post 2, Tyler Gaffalione, 3-1) lost a heartbreaker in his January debut traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm Gulfstream turf, taking the lead at the stretch call only to be collared by eventual Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational-winner Far Bridge in the final jumps. The Lope de Vega chestnut exited that effort to graduate by 8 3/4-lengths traveling one mile over the same course ahead of a last-out eighth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 American Turf on May 6 at Churchill.

Courtlandt Farms’ General Jim (post 8, Luis Saez, 9-2), a dual graded-stakes winner on dirt, will switch back to turf for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. The Into Mischief bay posted his first two wins on turf, graduating at second asking in September at Saratoga ahead of a sharp allowance score one month later at Keeneland. General Jim made his next four starts on dirt, taking the seven-furlong Grade 3 Swale in February at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile in May at Churchill Downs.

McGaughey said he expects Luis Saez will be able to work a close stalking trip when they exit post 6.

“He’s got speed, too. He’ll be laying up close,” McGaughey said.

Godolphin’s Irish-homebred Mysterious Night (post 6, Junior Alvarado, 10-1) has finished off-the-board in two starts since taking the Grade 1 Summer last year at Woodbine for trainer Charlie Appleby. The Dark Angel gelding finished seventh in the one-mile Group 3 Craven in April at Newmarket as the wagering favorite and followed on June 24 with a 12th-place effort in the seven-furlong Group 3 Jersey at Royal Ascot.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by Bat Flip (post 9, Jose Ortiz, 12-1), who makes his first start since a prominent score on Nov. 26 in the Central Park traveling one mile over firm Aqueduct turf.

“It’s kind of a tall order off the bench, but we like the way he’s been training,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to really take to the grass and we’re really pleased with that, so we thought we’d give him a chance.”

Cherie DeVaux will saddle More Than Looks (post 1, John Velazquez, 5-2), last-out winner of the Grade 3 Manila on July 7 at Belmont Park, for owner Victory Racing Partners. More Than Looks graduated at second asking in March over the Gulfstream Park synthetic, besting next-out winner Hidden Path. The dark bay bested older allowance company in June at Ellis Park, rallying from seventh to post a neck score ahead of a strong 1 1/2-length win in the one-mile Manila that garnered a career-best 94 Beyer.

Graded stakes-placed Behind Enemy Lines (post 3, Joel Rosario, 8-1) will look to avenge a narrow defeat to Major Dude last out on June 2 in the Grade 2 Penn Mile. Trained by Jack Sisterson, the Sioux Nation colt made the lead at the stretch call of the Penn Mile but could not stave off the bid of Major Dude, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length. Sisterson said Behind Enemy Lines, who has trained forwardly with six follow-up breezes over the Oklahoma training turf, will look for a similar trip as the Penn Mile with Joel Rosario taking over the reins.

“He’ll break running. He doesn’t want to be on the lead because he might race a bit free, so Joel will probably have him forwardly placed just behind the leaders and hopefully get a jump on the closers,” Sisterson said.

Rounding out a competitive field is European invader Ocean Vision (post 4, Trevor McCarthy, 12-1) for trainer Tim Donworth, a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program who garnered his first listed stakes success when Ocean Vision captured the Prix de la Vallee d’Auge in August at Deauville.