Trainer Chad Brown, coming off a record-setting spring/summer meet at Belmont Park, will try to keep the momentum going in the $175,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes (G3T) July 15 at Saratoga Race Course.
This is the first graded stakes race of the young Spa season for Brown, who will saddle William H. Lawrence’s Analyze It and Klaravich Stables’ Public Sector in the one-mile event on the Inner turf.
Brown won a record 47 races at the Belmont meet, which ended July 10. It was Brown’s seventh straight training title there. The 43-year-old Brown has won four training titles at Saratoga and is the defending champ.
Analyze It, a 7-year-old gelding, has won four of his 10 tries at the mile distance. He made his first start since December on May 28 at Monmouth Park, finishing a rallying third in the ungraded Cliff Hanger Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
Jose Ortiz has the mount on Analyze It, who will start from post position 6 in the field of 12 entered for turf.
Art Collector is a 13th entry in the race, though he will only compete if the race is moved to the main track.
Brown also runs graded stakes-winning Public Sector, who comes off a third last out in the one-mile Poker Stakes (G3T) June 18 at Belmont. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides.
The highly competitive Forbidden Apple also features the Ian Wilkes-trained Mira Mission , who got beat by a neck in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs May 7, and Juddmonte’s Set Piece , trained by Brad Cox.
Set Piece won Pimlico’s Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) on Preakness Day with a strong finish. Three Diamonds Farm’s Atone , who set the pace in the 1 1/16 mile Dinner Party before settling for third, is also entered in the Forbidden Apple.
Mira Mission, a 4-year-old son of Noble Mission who races for Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust, is in the best form of his career.
“He’s just matured. He had a great foundation and is very consistent,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “He’s just an honest little horse. He always tries and you have to love him. He came to me in real good shape and I’m very fortunate to reap the benefit.”
Mira Mission and Set Piece were intended for the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs earlier this month, but that race was canceled when grass racing over that track’s troubled, immature turf course was scrapped.
“He was going all winter and spring and then I had to re-group,” Wilkes said. “He’s training good, so it was handy that this race was here. The horse has done well.”
Julien Leparoux returns in the irons from post 3.
Atone, trained by Mike Maker, seeks a breakout graded stakes win after close defeats in four consecutive stakes tries at the grade 2 and grade 1 level.
Flavien Prat will pilot Atone from post 8.
Entries: Forbidden Apple S. (G3T)
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 15, 2022, Race 9
- Grade III
- 1m
- Inner turf
- $175,000
- 4 yo’s & up
- 5:39 PM (local)
