Brown Hopes to Continue Manhattan Reign

[Wandering Eyes]

Trainer Chad Brown has won five of the last seven runnings of the GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan S. and will look to add to that streak when he saddles a pair of runners in the 1 1/4-mile race over the Belmont lawn Saturday. Fourth in this race a year ago, Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) went on to capture the GI Arlington Million and GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic before concluding his campaign with a runner-up effort in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf. He returned from six months on the sidelines to run a solid second in the May 5 GI Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Brown will also saddle Convento Viejo’s unbeaten Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}) in the Manhattan. The 4-year-old was a four-time Group 1 winner in his native Chile and captured the May 5 GIII Ft. Marcy S. over the Belmont turf in his lone U.S. outing to date.

“They’re both doing well,” Brown said. “Beach Patrol looks to be more forwardly placed, while Robert Bruce comes from off the pace.”

La Providencia’s Hi Happy (Arg) (Pure Prize) has won two of three starts since joining the Todd Pletcher barn over the winter. The 6-year-old was off 10 months before finishing third in the Feb. 10 GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. in his first start for Pletcher. He went on to win the Mar. 31 GII Pan American S. and, most recently, the May 12 GI Man o’War S.

“He’s a horse that performs well, very straightforward and easy to train,” said Pletcher, who is seeking his first win in the Manhattan. “When you are fortunate enough to get the opportunity to train a ready-made horse, it makes your job so easy. You just try to keep them sound and healthy and point them in the right direction.”

Woodslane Farm’s late-running homebred Sadler’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy), third in last year’s Manhattan, opened the year with a win in the Mar. 3 GII Mac Diarmida S. and was fourth behind Hi Happy in the 12-furlong Pan American and second, beaten a half-length by that foe, in the 1 3/8-miles Man o’War.

“He’s been very consistent, just needed a little more ground to get up in time in the Man o’ War,” trainer Tom Albertrani said of the 5-year-old. “It’s important he gets a well-timed ride. He has tremendous turn of foot, and when he really starts to kick in, he makes up a lot of ground.”

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