By Mike Kane
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After having his picture taken with debuting Early Adoptor (GB) Lope de Vega (IRE)) following the second race Saturday, trainer Chad Brown promptly dropped names and words of praise.
“My assistant, Luis Cabrera, at Monmouth, I want to give him a lot of credit,” Brown said. “He had this horse all summer. He was rained out at Monmouth a couple weeks ago and he says, 'you know, boss this is probably a Saratoga-level horse. Go ahead and try him up there.' And he was right.”
Indeed. With Manny Franco aboard, the Klaravich Stables chestnut colt turned in a solid run through the stretch to win the $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds on the inner turf course at Saratoga Race Course by a neck over Authentic Gallop (Authentic). They completed the 1 1/16th miles in 1:43.70 and paid $10.80 as the 4-1 third choice in the field of nine.
Authentic Gallop and jockey Dylan Davis led the way until a few strides before the wire when Early Adoptor arrived in a hurry. Leaving from Post 2 and wearing blinkers for the first time, Authentic Gallop turned in early split times of :23.96, :48.76. He got six furlongs in 1:13.60 and the mile in 1:37.57.
Meanwhile, Franco guided Early Adoptor to the rail from Post 8 before they reached the first turn. They sat comfortably in fifth, 3 1/2 to 4 lengths off lengths off the pace. In the second turn they moved four or five paths off the rail entering the stretch and steadily moved past the competition. Even though Franco dropped his crop inside the eighth pole, Early Adoptor delivered another surge and caught Authentic Gallop.
Two turns on debut is no easy task, but #8 Early Adopter passed the test in R2 at Saratoga at 4/1! 💪
Chad Brown trains this 2YO colt and @jockeyfranco was in the saddle. pic.twitter.com/CsvOXhx8Fv
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 31, 2024
“It's just a maiden race, but he did everything right,” Brown said. “He's got a bright future.”
Brown purchased Early Adaptor for Klaravich for 170,000gns ($215,754) at the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling sale. The colt was bred by Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm & Stud
“Mike and Mary Ryan are the ones who help me over there,” Brown said. “They're my partners and they find all the horses. We've had good luck buying off this breeder, Luca Cumani. We also bought Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega (Ire))–amongst other good horses–off him.”
Program Trading has won five of seven starts for Klaravich and Brown, three of them Grade I's.
Chad Brown with Manny Franco after the race | Sarah Andrew
2nd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-31, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.70, fm, neck.
EARLY ADOPTER (GB) (c, 2, Lope de Vega {Ire}–Silk Sari {GB} {GSW & G1SP-Eng, $363,251}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) broke well to track the top flight from fifth as Authentic Gallop (Authentic) put up the fractions. Well-placed behind a :48.76 half and called on for more as 1:13.60 sailed by, Early Adopter swung four wide into the stretch and threw down the gauntlet as that longtime leader gamely held on to his advantage. Despite Manny Franco losing his crop, the chestnut relentlessly closed the gap and nailed Authentic Gallop by a neck on the wire.
A half-brother to the dam of Australian Group 1-winner Zardozi (Aus) (Kingman {GB}), who is also dual Group 1-placed and a Group 2-winner this season, the victor is the most recent to the races for G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes-placed Silk Sari, whose last registered offspring is a yearling filly by Too Darn Hot (GB). The mare is herself a half-sister to the dam of MGISW Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who races for these same connections.
Klaravich Stables have enjoyed a good track record with Lope de Vega offspring sourced from the Tattersalls October sale, among the most notable being MGISW Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and the aforementioned Program Trading for 200,000gns in 2017 and 250,000 in 2021, respectively. This is the extended family of European Horse of the Year Barathea (Ire). Sales history: 170,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown.
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