Golden Brown Makes the Grade in G3 Kent

WILMINGTON, DE – Trainer Patrick McBurney’s Golden Brown made his graded stakes debut a winning one on Saturday, using a drifting leader in mid-stretch to his advantage and passing several affected foes en route to victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park.

Breaking from post 6 under Jairo Rendon, Golden Brown stalked early leader Archaggelos through opening splits of :24.60, :48.55, and 1:11.68. As the field bunched up exiting the far turn, Archaggelos drifted inward from the 3-path, causing Hot Springs and the rail-riding favorite Untamed Domain to check. Behind his right hip, however, Golden Brown remained in the clear and advanced to the lead as Archaggelos began to tire. Hot Springs re-rallied along the rail a second time but was unable to catch Golden Brown in time, and the 15-1 longshot hit the wire first by 1 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:48.06 for the 1 1/8-mile turf event.

“After his first time on turf, where he ran a fantastic race against tough older horse, we were looking for a straight 3-year-old race,” McBurney said. “This was a Grade 3, but we thought we would take a shot. We looked at the numbers and his stacked up within a couple points of the highest number. We thought he would improve and he could only help himself by running 1-2-3 a race like this.”

Carrick took third after running a similarly wide trip down the stretch. Archaggelos and Way Early crossed together in fourth in a finish that was declared a dead-heat, with the pair finishing a nose ahead of Untamed Domain. However, following the finish, the stewards reviewed the stretch run and determined that Archaggelos had impeded Untamed Domain, so the official order for that trio was changed to Way Early in fourth, Untamed Domain in fifth, and Archaggelos in sixth. Gunnison and Duc de Calas completed the order of finish. Blame the Rider was scratched as a cross-entry after his connections chose to run him in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby.

Golden Brown’s win improved his record to 7-3-3-0 with career earnings of $209,500 for owners ABL Stable, Domenic Bossone, Peter Donnelly, and Jacob Schnoor, Jr. The 3-year-old son of Offlee Wild finished second last out in a small stakes race at Monmouth Park and will point towards a start at Saratoga next.

“We hope to find something at Saratoga if he comes out of this good,” McBurney said. “We would like to find another 3-year-old race long on the grass because that is his game.”

Golden Brown returned $33.20 to win, $9.60 to place, and $5.20 to show. Hot Springs brought back $6.60 to place and $4.80 to show, while Carrick paid $3.40 to show.