Juddmonte homebred Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) will make his first start for the Chad Brown barn June 11 in the GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan S. The decision was made after the 6-year-old fired a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.60 (1/18) over the Belmont lawn Saturday morning.
“I am going to run Flintshire,” said Brown. “He's been doing fine. He's been working well and his work this morning was outstanding. He showed me today that he's ready to go. The horse couldn't be any better. He gets the green light.”
Winner of the 2013 G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris and 2014 G1 Hong Kong Vase, Flintshire is a two-time runner-up in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and finished second to champion Main Sequence (Aldebaran) in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Turf. The dark bay was an ultra-impressive winner of Saratoga's GI Sword Dancer S. in his lone trip to the U.S. last August for previous trainer Andre Fabre and was transferred to Brown in early spring.
Brown will also saddle MGISW Big Blue Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and recent GI Man o' War S. hero Wake Forest (Ger) (Sir Percy {GB}) in the Manhattan. The latter also breezed on the Belmont sod Saturday, covering five furlongs in 1:04 flat (17/18).
“Wake Forest worked well this morning and is likely to run,” said Brown. “He's coming off a perfect race in the Man o' War. He's had a couple of maintenance works since the race and they've gone well, so he'll run back.”
Brown added that last year's Manhattan winner Slumber (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) and Man o' War runner-up Money Multiplier (Lookin at Lucky) are also possible for the Manhattan, but may wait for the July 3 GI United Nations S. at Monmouth Park instead.
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