Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Brion Proves She is More Than Just a Jump Trainer

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In her days as a Thoroughbred horse trainer, Keri Brion has been associated mainly with steeplechase runners. And she has no problem with that. The jump game has been good to her.

Since opening her own stable, the former assistant to the late Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard has trained an Eclipse Award Steeplechase horse in The Mean Queen (Ire) (Doyen {Ire}), who won it in 2021, her first year.

But there is more to her training game, and she made people take notice. On Thursday, Brion won the 10th race with Miztertonic (Mission Impazible). It was the first flat race Brion ever won at Saratoga Race Course.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Miztertonic did not lead the maiden claiming race until the final jump. He won by a nose on the inner turf and paid $17.20.

“That was pretty cool,” Brion said at her barn at the Oklahoma Annex Friday morning, “especially getting it like that. I know it was just a maiden $40,000, but it doesn't matter. It's Saratoga; it so much harder to win here … just incredible how competitive it is.”

While watching the race from the winner's circle, she wasn't sure if Miztertonic had won. It was that close.

Once it became official, there was relief and excitement.

“I have won Grade Is over the jumps here, but the amount of text messages on my phone for winning a maiden 40 … everyone watches Saratoga,” she said. “I think I had 50 messages.”

Brion said she could not remember how many horses she has run over the flats at Saratoga in her career–“but it's not that many,” she said.

Brion may be known more as a steeplechase trainer, but she has more flat runners than jumpers. Of the 90 horses she has in training, she said “about” 25 go over the hurdles The rest are flat racers.

“I want people to see my name and not just think 'she is a jump trainer',” Brion said. “That is not a bad thing. I do well over the jumps. I have trained Grade I winners, I have an Eclipse. There is a stigma if you train jump horses, you can't train flat horses.”

Keri Brion with Miztertonic | Tim Wilkin

According to Equibase, Brion has started 170 horses this year and has 22 wins, 18 seconds and 33 third-place finishes. The National Steeplechase Association has her with four wins, two seconds and eight thirds in 40 starts.

“In the Mid-Atlantic, I run a lot of flat horses and we have had a really good year,” she said.

Brion finished third and fifth in the GI A.P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap over the Saratoga hurdles last Sunday.

When he won Thursday, Miztertonic, a 5-year-old grey gelding, was making his second start off a two-year layoff. It was only his third career start, and he was going 1 1/16 miles after two races at six furlongs.

“I thought he would run well,” Brion said. “I always thought he was going to be a horse that wanted to stretch out. I can't tell you I thought he was going to win. There were a lot of horses dropping down to the maiden special weight level and he needed to take a step up. I can get horses fit, but you do question yourself up here.”

Ward Hoping for Rebound as Nakatomi Returns to Races in Vanderbilt

If Saturday's $350,000 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap runs to form, 5-year-old gelding Nakatomi (Firing Line) should get a favorable setup.

Owned by Qatar Racing LLC and Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Nakatomi and jockey Tyler Gaffalione will see plenty of speed around them in the six-furlong race.

“Everyone in there is a fast horse, which you would expect in a Grade I going three quarters,” Nakatomi trainer Wesley Ward said Friday about his five rivals.

Early speed is one thing Nakatomi does not have, so the faster they go up front, the better for him.

Nakatomi's 2023 allowance at the Spa | Sarah Andrew

This will be the first start for Nakatomi since he finished a troubled third in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai on Mar. 30. Ridden by Jamie Spencer that day, Nakatomi had a bad break and a wide trip.

“I was not able to go myself this year, but after watching the replay and feedback from Jamie Spencer, it was just a really rough trip,” Ward said. “He had been training well for that race and it's a shame we did not have a good shot at it.”

When he got Nakatomi back to Kentucky, Ward wanted to do what he always does with his horses that head overseas: give them time off.

“That is what we did,” he said. “We gave him time to recover, but it didn't appear like he needed it. I gave it to him anyway.”

Nakatomi, named after Nakatomi Plaza from the 1988 movie “Die Hard,” is the 5-2 second choice on the Vanderbilt morning line behind the Steve Asmussen-trained Skelly (Practical Joke), who is 6-5.

Leaving from the rail should not be a problem for Nakatomi, Ward said.

“If the one hole did not make a difference for any horse, it would be him,” Ward said. “Hopefully, all the others will get away cleanly so we can get a nice stalking trip and be able to ease out and away we go.”

Nakatomi has five wins, two seconds and six thirds in 17 career starts. In nine tries at the Vanderbilt distance, he has one win to go along with two seconds and five thirds.

In his final start last year, Nakatomi was third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

This will be his third start at Saratoga. He won an allowance at the Spa in 2023 and was third in the 2021 GII Saratoga Special Stakes.

Haskell Winner Dornoch Back at Gargan's Barn Following Four Days Off Campus

After four days away, GI Haskell Stakes winner Dornoch (Good Magic) returned to trainer Danny Gargan's barn on the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course.

Dornoch wins last week's Haskell | Sarah Andrew

Considered by many to be the leader of the 3-year-old colt division, Dornoch had spent the majority of the week at GMP Farm in nearby Schuylerville where he had Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber therapy, a procedure that delivers increased amount of oxygen to injured tissues.

Dornoch, also the GI Belmont Stakes winner, has had a skin disease, Gargan said.

“He had four treatments, it was a good way to recover (from the Haskell win July 20),” Gargan said at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Friday. “He came back Thursday, and he went to the track (Friday).”

Gargan is keeping Dornoch on the same schedule he had him on in the time between the GI Kentucky Derby–where he finished 10th–and the Belmont. He said there will be two works for Dornoch before the next target, the GI Travers Stakes on Aug. 24. One will come 15-16 days from the race and the second will be seven or eight days out.

“They pumped fresh oxygen into him, and he looked great out there on the track,” Gargan said. “It's a luxury to have that (GMP Farm) facility right down the road. It's gorgeous.”