Shadwell Turf Mile Preview: Brown Quartet Looking to Score Big

LEXINGTON, KY – Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a quartet of capable runners looking to score big in Saturday’s $750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

The winner of the Shadwell Turf Mile will receive an automatic position in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup FanDuel Mile Presented by the PDJF (G1) this fall at Keeneland. Pre-entry and entry fees will be paid and a nominator award of $10,000 will be given to the nominating person. Also, all Breeders’ Cup starters based outside of the state of Kentucky will receive a travel allowance of $10,000 if based in North America and $40,000 if based Internationally.

The Shadwell Turf Mile is open all horses ages 3 and up, with the 2020 edition attracting a deep group of 11 runners.

Let’s look at the full field:

#1 Casa Creed – He ended his 2019 season winning the Hall of Fame (G2) at Saratoga and has finished third in 2 of his 3 starts this year, including the Fourstardave (G1) last time out. The Bill Mott trainee seems to be at his best when going 1 mile on the lawn, as evidenced by his 7-2-1-3 record, and jockey Martin Garcia has won 5 of his past 25 rides for Mott’s Hall of Fame barn.

#2 Halladay – He enters this event having won 3 of his past 4 starts and earning Beyer Speed Figures of at least 102, showing that he can be deadly if he gets to set the early lead. He’s already stamped his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, courtesy of winning the Fourstardave last time out, and jockey Luis Saez will be aboard for the fifth straight time.

#3 Without Parole – The first of four from Brown is still seeking his first victory since the 2018 St. James’s Palace (G1) at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet in Great Britain. He was 3/4 of a length away from winning July’s Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) over this course and finished third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile while making his first start with Brown and in North America.

#4 Bowies Hero – This battle-tested runner is no stranger to the big stage, with 6 stakes scores on his resume including last year’s edition of this race, which he parlayed into a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He’s still seeking his first 2020 victory, but he should appreciate cutting back after running longer recently: 7 of his 8 career victories have come at this distance.

#5 Born Great – Trainer Brendan Walsh waited until this past June to bring the 4-year-old to the races, debuting him in a 5 1/2-furlong dash over the Churchill Downs lawn. He broke his maiden at second asking on September 9 at Kentucky Downs, then wheeled back 7 days later to trounce allowance rivals by 5 3/4 lengths, but his first time routing will also be his stakes debut.

#6 Raging Bull – Brown removes his blinkers for the first time since May 2019 to hopefully put him back into the winner’s circle. His lone victory in 6 starts wearing the hood came in May’s Shoemaker Mile (G1), the first North American-based “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but he won 5 times without it and Brown is 2-for-9 with such equipment changes.

#7 Flavius – The lightly-raced 5-year-old has made the most of his 7 lifetime starts, winning 3 of those including the Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs last time out. The Juddmonte Farms homebred earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory, so a repeat effort could put the Brown-trained son of top American turf sire War Front back into the winner’s circle.

#8 Analyze It – Brown’s fourth entry returned from a 22-month hiatus to win the 1-mile Red Bank Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park on September 5. He began his career winning 3 straight, including the local 1 1/16-mile 2018 Transylvania (G3), and was third (beaten 3/4 of a length) in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile before taking his extended break from the races.

#9 Parlor – He came within a nose of upsetting the Maker’s Mark Mile at 24/1 odds, leading narrowly in the stretch before eventual winner War of Will wore him down late. He’s winless in 4 career starts over the local lawn, but he hit the board in 3 of those attempts and attracted the services of the southern California-based Umberto Rispoli, one of the nation’s top turf riders.

#10 Spectacular Gem – He returned from a four-month hiatus to win 2 straight, including the Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile over a boggy Ellis Park turf course. He missed the board in the 1 1/8-mile Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) last time out, but he should appreciate cutting back to a distance over which he has a sparkling 6-4-1-0 record.

#11 Ivar – The Brazilian-bred colt sheds the blinkers after finishing first and third in 2 starts while wearing the hood. His first 3 career starts came in Argentina and resulted in victories by a combined 14 lengths, including a pair of 6-length scores against Group 1 rivals. Jockey Joe Talamo, aboard for his past 2 American starts, retains the mount.

The Shadwell Turf Mile serves as race 10 and is one of 5 stakes on the Saturday card at Keeneland, including 3 additional Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” races. A total of 11 qualifying events will be held Friday through Sunday between Keeneland, Belmont Park, and Pimlico.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is presented by America’s Best Racing.