Chad Brown (horse trainer)
Chad C. Brown(born December 18, 1978) is an Americanracehorse trainer.Brown is widely regarded as one of the elite trainers in the world,[2]having won four consecutiveEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainerin the United States 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.[3]In 2019, he also achieved the highest position in the World Training Standings according to the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary (TRC) Global Rankings,[4]becoming the first and only American trainer to be recognized as the World's Number One Trainer. Brown has secured twoPreakness Stakesvictories withCloud Computingin 2017 andEarly Votingin 2022,[5]and narrowly missing aKentucky Derbyvictory in 2024 with Sierra Leone.[6]Early in his career, many sought to pigeonhole him as a "turf trainer" who specialized in fillies and mares.[7]However, Brown's success has become so diversified that he has demonstrated the ability to win at any distance, with any sex, and on any surface.[7]Brown has trained 19 Breeders' Cup winners,[8]including Sierra Leone, the 2024Breeders' Cup ClassicChampion, further showcasing his dominance across the sport. Over his career, he has also trained thirteenEclipse Awardwinners, including,Big Blue Kitten,Lady Eli,Flintshire,Goodnight Olive,and Horse of the YearBricks and Mortar.[9]
Background
[edit]Brown was born and raised inMechanicville,a small city inupstate New York.His passion for horses began at an early age, sparked by family visits to the nearbySaratoga race track.[10]During high school, Brown gained hands-on experience withStandardbredsatSaratoga Raceway,where he learned the intricacies of breaking and training horses. Despite his early work withStandardbreds,his ambition was always to work withThoroughbreds.[11]
While pursuing a degree in animal science atCornell University,with the goal of becoming a veterinarian,[12]Brown took a summer job withHall of FametrainerShug McGaughey.Starting as a hot-walker, he quickly advanced to a groom, before earning the role of foreman. After graduating, Brown realized that his true passion lay in training horses rather than veterinary medicine, leading him to pursue a career as a Thoroughbred trainer.[2][13]
Training career
[edit]Brown's career as a trainer was significantly influenced by his five-year mentorship with Hall of Fame trainerRobert Frankel,[14]beginning in 2002. Their relationship became a pivotal part of Brown's career.[15]While Brown worked as an assistant trainer under Frankel, Brown split his time between Southern California and Saratoga while also overseeing Frankel's operations in Kentucky, (KeenelandandChurchill Downs),Monmouth ParkandGulfstream Park.[11]During this period, Brown gained invaluable experience working with some of the top racehorses in the world, includingMedaglia d'Oro,[16]Empire Maker,[16]Aldebaran,Ghostzapper,[16]Intercontinental,[15]andGinger Punch.[16] Brown credits Frankel's training methods, particularly his focus on each horse's unique strengths, as the foundation of his future success.[17]Brown even dedicatedCloud Computing'sPreakness Stakeswin to Frankel, stating that, "I feel this is for him... without his mentorship I certainly wouldn't be here."[18]
In 2007, Brown gained national attention at theBreeders' Cup,when he stepped in forBobby Frankel,who had returned to California to care for his ailing Australian Shepard named Happy.[17]Brown saddledGinger Punchto victory in theBreeders' Cup Distaff.[19]marking a significant moment in his career. Shortly after, Brown established his own stable with a modest string of ten horses, including those owned byKen and Sarah Ramseyand Gary andMary West.His first win as an independent trainer came atChurchill Downsin a $5,000claiming race[15]with his second starter, Dual Jewels.[20]Dual Jewels was subsequently claimed, reducing the stable to nine horses. Brown spent the winter meet atOaklawn Parkand later moved toKeeneland,where he achieved his second win.[13]During that time, his stable had a total of four starts, resulting in one win and one third-place finish, earning a total of $13,960.[21]
By January 2008, just three months after launching his own stable, Brown expressed his ambition to follow in his mentor's footsteps, aiming to build a large, high-quality stable. "I want to be the nextBobby Frankel,"Brown stated.[15]Brown's goals was to ensure his training horses received the best care possible, adhering to what he called "Bobby's System," a method of meticulous care inspired by Frankel's legacy. "[15]That year, Brown competed in his firstSaratoga Race Coursemeet,[22]finishing the meet with 6 wins from 18 starters, including the debut of the two-year-old filly Maram.[13]Maram went on to win theMiss GrilloStakes (Grade 3) atBelmont Park,marking Brown's firstgraded stakesvictory.[23]Then Maram went on to win theBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfatSanta Anita Park,giving Brown his firstBreeder's Cupwin at odds 11:1[24]with a purse of over $1,000,000.[24]This victory was especially poignant as it coincided with the burial of Brown's grandfather, Elmer Maynard, inMechanicville, New York.[25]
2009:Brown won his firstNew York Racing Association,(NYRA), training title at theAqueduct Racetrackfall meet securing it with nine wins.[26]Silver Timber, owned by longtime client Micheal Dubb,[27]won two graded stakes, theWoodford Stakes(G3) at Keeneland and theJaipur Stakes(G3) atBelmont Park.[28]
2010:Brown saddled 17 winners atSaratoga Race Coursefinishing third in the standings.[29]Silver Timber added three graded stakes victories to Brown's record: theTwin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes(G3),Shakertown Stakes(G3), andWoodford Stakes(G3).[28]Brown also claimed his fourth graded stakes win of the year with the European horse Tottie (GB) in theSuwannee(G3).[30]
2011:Brown won his first career Grade I race with the French-bred mareZagorain theDiana StakesatSaratoga Race Course.[29][21]Just two weeks later, he secured his second Grade I victory withStacelita(FR), in theBeverly D. StakesatArlington Park.[29]Stacelita(FR) was previously based out of Europe and Brown had recently taken over her training.Stacelita(FR) went on to win theFlower Bowl Invitationaland theBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turfunder his guidance. These successes earnedStacelita(FR) theEclipse AwardforChampion Turf Female.[12]
2012:Zagora(FR), won several major stakes, including theBreeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.She would become the secondEclipse Awardwinner trained by Brown when namedChampion Turf Female.[31]Brown tied for theBelmont Racetrackfall training title and his second NYRA training title with 21 wins.[32]
2013:Brown ranked third among North American trainers by earning $13,395,419 in purse money.[21]Highlights includedBig Blue Kitten's victories in theUnited Nations Handicap,theSword Dancer InvitationalatSaratoga Race Courseand 90 minutes later Brown took down theArlington Millionwith Real Solution forKen and Sarah Ramsey,[23]and also won theBelmont Racetrackfall training title with 26 wins.[32]
2014:Brown's success continued with threeBreeders' Cupvictories:Lady Eliin theBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf,Dayatthespain theBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf,andBobby's Kittenin theBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint.[33]Brown was a finalist for theEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer,[34]with his stable earning $15,383,930 in purse money.[21]Dayatthespawas also named theEclipse AwardChampion Turf Female.[9]
2015:At theBreeders' Cup,Brown earned wins with bothStephanie's Kittenin theBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf,and Wavell Avenue in theBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.[1]Big Blue Kittenalso achieved several victories including setting a course record in theJoe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes,[35]finishing second in theArlington Million,and third in theBreeders' Cup Turf.Big Blue Kitten's consistency would earn him theEclipse AwardforChampion Turf Male.[36]
2016:Brown took over the training ofJuddmonte Farm'sFlintshire,previously campaigned internationally byAndré Fabre.Flintshire won theManhattan Stakes(G1) in his first start under Brown's guidance, helping Brown secure the trainer title for the Belmont spring/summer meet.[37]On August 24, Brown earned his 1,000th career win with Mr. Maybe atSaratoga Race Course.[38]He ended the Saratoga meet with the trainers title and a record of 40 wins,[39]capped by a victory in theHopeful Stakes(G1) withPractical Joke,marking his first graded stakes win on the dirt at Saratoga.[40]Brown led all American trainers in earnings[21]and graded stakes wins, earning him theEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.[41]
2017:Brown won his first Triple Crown race withCloud Computingin thePreakness Stakes.[42]Cloud Computing,a lightly raced colt making only his forth career start,[7]pulled off an upset victory at odds 13:1.[7]Later that year, he secured another major triumph whenGood Magiccaptured theBreeders' Cup Juvenile.[43]earning theEclipse Awardfor Champion Two Year Old Colt.[9]Additionally,Lady Eliwho recovered from a severe case of laminitis under Brown's care,[44]won theEclipse AwardforChampion Turf Female.[9]Brown continued to excel, ranking number one in the trainers standings and receiving his secondEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer[9]after his trainees won 16 Grade I races and earned $26,202,164 million in purse money leading North America in money won for the second year in a row.[45]
2018:Brown had an exceptional year, leading North America with 20 Grade 1 victories and securing 47 graded wins overall. His stable earned $27,546,057 in purse earnings,[21]the second-highest ever recorded by a trainer in a single year. He also broke his own record at Saratoga Race Course, with 46 wins in a single meet.[46][39]At theBreeders' Cup,Newspaperofrecordremained unbeaten this season by winning theJuvenile Fillies Turf[47]andSistercharlietriumphed in theBreeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.[48]This victory marked Brown's fourth win in that specific race, the most by any trainer.Sistercharlie's outstanding performance throughout the year earned her theEclipse AwardforChampion Turf Female.[9]These remarkable achievements earned Brown his third consecutiveEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.[9]
https://www.saratogaracetrack.com/the-fast-track/2018/09/summer-meet-breaks-records/
2019:Brown set a North American record with $31,112,144 in earnings, the highest ever for a trainer in a single year.[49]His achievements included three moreBreeders' Cupvictories, bringing his career total to fifteen, placing him third all-time among trainers. Significant wins in 2019 includedBricks and Mortar's victories in thePegasus World Cup Turf Invitational(G1), theManhattan Stakes(G!), and theArlington Million(G1), solidifyingBricks and Mortar's status as the winner of theEclipse Award for Horse of the Year.[9]Brown also trained Uni, who won theEclipse AwardforChampion Turf Female.[9]Brown's outstanding performance throughout the year earned him his fourth consecutiveEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.[9]Brown was also ranked #1 in the TRC Global Rankings,[4]becoming the first American trainer to achieve the distinction of being the World's Number One Trainer.
2020:On June 11, Brown reached a significant milestone by securing his 100th Grade 1 win with Guarana in theMadison Stakesand that same afternoon Rushing Fall win in theJenny Wiley Stakesadded his 101st Grade 1 win. Brown became the fastest and youngest trainer to achieve 100 Grade 1 wins since the grading system began in 1973, a feat described as a "Meteoric Rise" by Paulick Report.[50]Rushing Fall also won theDiana Stakes(G1) atSaratoga Race Course.Rushing Fall's success throughout the year contributed to her being named theEclipse Awardwinner for Champion Turf Female.[9]Brown's stable earned $16,596,956 in earnings and he finished fourth in the North America Trainer Standings.[21]
2021:Brown achieved another milestone in his training career by recording his 2,000th career win with Digital Software atSaratoga Race Courseon August 7.[51]Over the course of the year, Brown accumulated seven Grade 1 wins and a total of 33 graded stakes victories. Notable Grade 1 achievements included theTurf Classic Stakesand theManhattan Stakeswith Domestic Spending, as well as theAcorn StakeswithSearch Results.
Brown also won his sixth consecutive training title at theBelmont Parkspring/summer meet, securing 32 victories, including two Grade 1 wins onBelmont StakesDay.[52]Additionally, Brown was a finalist in theEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainerand finished third in the Trainer's North America standings, with his stable earning $22,213,740 in purse money.[21]
2022:Brown won the 147thPreakness StakeswithEarly Voting,marking his second victory in the second leg of theTriple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.He also secured a win in theToyota Blue Grass Stakeswith Zandon, who subsequently finished third in theKentucky Derby.Additionally, Brown won theBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintwithGoodnight Olive,increasing his totalBreeders' Cupwins to 16.Goodnight Olivewas also named theEclipse AwardU.S. Champion Female Sprint Horse.
Brown showed a lot a of diversity in his wins from dirt spinners to route grass horses, both male and female which helped him earn his eighth consecutive year-end NYRA training title[53]and was ranked number one in the North America Training rankings, leading the United States in earnings with a total of $31,057,362,[21]244 wins, and 51 Graded Stakes victories—18 more than the second-place trainer—achieving this with 98 fewer starts than his closest competitor.
2023:Brown trained nine individual Grade 1 winners and secured twoBreeders’ Cupvictories: theJuvenile Fillies Turfwith Hard to Justify and the Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Sprint withGoodnight Olive,marking her second consecutive win in this race. These victories brought Brown's totalBreeders’ Cupwins to 18. Blazing Sevens also finished second in thePreakness Stakes(G1) the second leg of theTriple Crown.Additionally, Brown was a finalist for theEclipse Award for Outstanding Trainerand led his horses to earnings totaling $25,715,901, finishing third in the North America Trainer Rankings.[21]
2024:Brown's horse, Sierra Leone, was part of most dramatic three-way photo finish inKentucky Derbyhistory. After a several minute delay, sorting out the closest three-horse photo since 1947,[54]Sierra Leona ultimately placed second.[55]Sierra Leone came back to win the Breeders Cup Classic, a seven million dollar race. Brown also achieved a record ninth win in theDiana Stakeswith Whitebeam, who secured her second consecutive victory in this event.[56]Additionally, Brown won the training title atSaratoga Race Coursemeet with 45 wins, 23 more wins than the second-place trainer. Six of these victories were in Grade I races. This gives Brown his seventh Saratoga Training Titles and his 32nd training title at aNew York Racing AssociationInc. (NYRA) meet.[57]As of November 2nd, Brown is ranked first in the North America Trainer Rankings, with earnings of $29,256.950 for the year, bringing his career earnings to $300,435,362 million dollars[21]
Records held
[edit]Year-end rankings, earnings and wins
[edit]| North American Rankings, Earnings and Wins[1] | |||||||
| Year | # of Starts | Ranked by Earnings | Actual Earnings | Ranked by Wins | Actual Wins | Win% | WPS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 766 | 1 | $29,406,950 ongoing | 8 | 199 ongoing | 24% | 55% |
| 2023 | 909 | 4 | $25,715,901 | 4 | 207 | 23% | 54% |
| 2022 | 920 | 1 | $31,057,362 | 4 | 244 | 27% | 52% |
| 2021 | 839 | 3 | $22,213,740 | 11 | 196 | 23% | 58% |
| 2020 | 746 | 4 | $16,578,956 | 9 | 174 | 23% | 60% |
| 2019 | 823 | 1 | $31,112,144 | 6 | 220 | 27% | 62% |
| 2018 | 839 | 1 | $27,546,057 | 5 | 224 | 27% | 61% |
| 2017 | 820 | 1 | $26,202,164 | 7 | 213 | 26% | 61% |
| 2016 | 763 | 1 | $23,134,394 | 9 | 182 | 24% | 57% |
| 2015 | 768 | 2 | $20,235,459 | 6 | 204 | 27% | 57% |
| 2014 | 581 | 2 | $15,383,930 | 15 | 147 | 25% | 57% |
| 2013 | 543 | 3 | $13,375,419 | 15 | 148 | 27% | 61% |
| 2012 | 494 | 5 | $11,060,710 | 17 | 138 | 28% | 63% |
| 2011 | 410 | 15 | $5,243,488 | 50 | 95 | 23% | 56% |
| 2010 | 307 | 32 | $3,046,710 | 67 | 22% | 56% | |
| 2009 | 221 | 112 | $1,733,240 | 50 | 23% | 55% | |
| 2008 | 155 | 146 | $1,570,986 | 31 | 20% | 50% | |
| 2007 | 4 | 4,908 | $13,960 | 1 | 25% | 50% | |
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