By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When the seventh race at Saratoga Race Course was finished Saturday, Chad Brown, who deflects credit often, did it once more.
The six-time leading trainer at the Spa had just won a $100,000 maiden special weight with the 5-2 favorite, Incentive Pay (Volatile). It was the first juvenile starter of the meet for Brown.
Brown didn't want to pat himself on the back after this one.
He wanted Pete Bradley, a longtime friend and respected bloodstock agent, to take the bows. At the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Brown left after the first two books. Bradley spied some yearlings that Brown might be interested in.
“Chad works the first two books pretty hard, and I have done a lot with him over the years,” said Bradley, who was in Saratoga Saturday to watch Incentive Pay's debut. “He said he could use another horse or two and, if I saw a horse I liked, to let him know. I think I sent him three or four hip numbers and we keyed on this horse.”
Hip number 1672 was the one Bradley zeroed in on and the bloodstock agent purchased him for Klarman for $315,000. Bradley has been doing this since 1997 and when he makes a recommendation, people listen. Brown certainly did.
“I thought he was exceptionally athletic,” Bradley said. “Not only did he have the frame and the balance, but he had that swagger to his walk. A great presence. These horses, when they come, especially Book Three, they are in and out. Some get a little rattled their first day, but he was good in the morning on the first day he was shown and good at the end of the day. I hate to say he ticked all the boxes for me, but he was the right kind of horse.”
“This,” Brown said, “was a real nice pick.”
Bradley has known Brown since he was an assistant under the late Hall of Famer, Bobby Frankel. Back then, Bradley saw things in Brown that he was more than happy to pass on to others.
“I told people that the young man who was Bobby's assistant, you are going to want to know in the future,” Bradley said.
Brown has had success with first-crop sires in the past. Both of his GI Preakness winners–Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) in 2017 and Early Voting (Gun Runner in 2022)–were by rookie sires. Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, which owns Incentive Pay, also owned Early Voting and co-owned Cloud Computing.
Volatile won five of six starts in his racing career, including the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt in his last start in 2020.
“We like to find value at the sales, and not go for the sales topping horses, the million-dollar horses,” Brown said. “It's not part of our plan. We've been very lucky. If you pick wrong and you hook up to the wrong first crop stallions, it's not a great experience.”
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Incentive Pay cut the corner at the top of the stretch of the six-furlong race and looked like a seasoned horse as he came down to the wire. He won by 2 1/2 lengths, was timed in 1:12.20 and paid $7.20.
Brown said that the next target is the GI Hopeful Stakes Sept. 2, closing day at the Spa.
“We don't always win first out, but we aren't really trying to,” Klarman said. “He broke a little slow, took back and then checked again. Chad gets them ready to run.”
Bradley, who said he wanted to be low-key in the winner's circle, departed while Brown was talking to a group of writers. Rest assured though, he was happy. Maybe happier than all of the winners.
It was his tout that got the ball rolling in the first place.
“It takes a lot of the pressure off, that's for sure,” Bradley said.
INCENTIVE PAY, the 2YO son of @Three_Chimneys stallion Volatile, breaks his maiden in the seventh race with @JRosarioJockey aboard for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/U8ct1McUut
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) July 20, 2024
7th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-20, 2yo, 6f, 1:12.20, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.
INCENTIVE PAY (c, 2, Volatile–Distinguishable, by Distorted Humor), tabbed the 5-2 favorite, was taken in hand right from the break and held under a tight rein to race mid pack. Not content to sit under jockey Joel Rosario, he finally got his head off the far turn and had plenty to offer, unleashing a strong move to clear into the lead and win going away by 2 1/2 lengths over Dapper Moon (Malibu Moon) who also closed from off the speed. The third winner for his freshman sire (by Violence), Incentive Pay has a yearling half-sister by Improbable and a newborn half-sister by Maxfield. Sales History: $315,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. 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-Kathryn Nikkel, Old Dominion & Turtle Creek Farms LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
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