Bricks and Mortar

Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode four Breeders' Cup winners at the 2019 World Championships--including GI Longines Turf hero and Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway), who he was aboard for all six of his wins from six tries last term. Ortiz's other Breeders' Cup winners were GI Longines Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin), GI Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile victor Spun to Run (Hard Spun) and GII Juvenile Turf Sprint scorer Four Wheel Drive (American Pharoah). Ortiz won 35 graded stakes in 2019, including 11 at the highest...

Having been nursed back to health over much of calendar year 2018 after being treated for a potentially career-ending case of stringhalt, Bricks and Mortar was an unstoppable force last year and became the first Horse of the Year for trainer Chad Brown Thursday evening. He was also a unanimous winner of the Eclipse Award for older turf male, the third in five years for a Brown trainee (Big Blue Kitten, 2015; Flintshire {GB}, 2016). Underfoot conditions were of no concern to the $200,000 Keeneland September graduate last season, as...

Having been nursed back to health over much of calendar year 2018 after being treated for a potentially career-ending case of stringhalt, Bricks and Mortar was an unstoppable force last year and became the first Horse of the Year for trainer Chad Brown Thursday evening. He was also a unanimous winner of the Eclipse Award for older turf male, the third in five years for a Brown trainee (Big Blue Kitten, 2015; Flintshire {GB}, 2016). Underfoot conditions were of no concern to the $200,000 Keeneland September graduate last season, as...

The 49th annual Runhappy Eclipse Awards will be held Thursday night at Gulfstream Park, with the award show itself beginning at 7:00 p.m. Up for Horse of the Year consideration are Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway), who capped a perfect six-for-six season with a win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf; Maximum Security (New Year's Day), who annexed the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby before being DQ'd from first to 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby and adding three more graded wins, including two at the highest level, to complete...

A winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 2 and unbeaten in six starts last year, Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) has been named the winner of the 10th annual Vox Populi Award, which will be presented in a winner's circle ceremony Saturday at Santa Anita Park. Created by the late owner of 1973 Triple Crown hero Secretariat, Penny Chenery, the inaugural Vox Populi (Voice of the People) Award was won by the legendary Zenyatta in 2010. Bricks and Mortar was campaigned for owners Klaravich Stables,...

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence finished the year as the leading owner by earnings, while jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown not only repeated as the top earners for jockeys and trainers, respectively, but each established single season earnings records, according to final statistics released Thursday by Equibase Company LLC. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $6,723,650. Owned, ridden and conditioned by the leading owner, jockey and trainer, Bricks and...

Race by race, Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) is building a formidable rampart against any rival that might yet emerge from the flux of summer to batter his (or her) way into Horse of the Year contention. But we all know how those green stains on his shoes will tend to weaken his cause, in that theater no less than when he retires to stud. In fact, with the yearling market still only paying lip service to the "growing importance" of turf racing in the U.S., Bricks and Mortar has...

When stablemates Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) and Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}) first met in the June 8 GI Manhattan S. at Belmont, division-leading Bricks and Mortar got the jump while Robert Bruce was stuck in some midstretch traffic, and kicked away to a 1 1/2-length conquest. Saturday, the two will reconvene at Arlington Park for the 37th running of the GI Arlington Million, where Robert Bruce will be defending his title after taking home last year's Million trophy. Klaravich Stables and Bill Lawrence's Bricks and Mortar, four-for-four...

Trainer Chad Brown brings a three-pronged attack in the latest renewal of the GI Fourstardave H., headed by a pair of Grade I winners--Uni (More Than Ready), winner of the GI Matriarch at Del Mar last December and GI Hollywood Derby victor Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) on the same weekend. Since those victories, Uni has added another victory to her resume in Belmont's June 29 Perfect Sting S., while Raging Bull finished fourth in both Keeneland's Apr. 12 GI Maker's 46 Mile S. and the nine-furlong GI Turf...

At this time last year Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) was starting over, re-learning the lessons that had enabled him to become a standout 3-year-old turf runner in 2017. Though he was nine months removed from career-saving surgery performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., there was no guarantee that he would be able to regain the brilliance. While sport is littered with tales of athletes who never could make a full comeback from injury, Bricks and Mortar is an unqualified success story....

Peter Brant's Eclipse Award winner Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) is one of eight pre-entries for and looks to become the first in the 30-year history to win the GI Beverly D. S. more than once when she lines up in the 9 1/2-furlong heat at Arlington Park Aug. 10. Trainer Chad Brown, who has sent out the winner of the Beverly D. for four consecutive years, is also set to be represented by GI American Oaks winner Competitionofideas (Speightstown) as well as Brant's Thais (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), a...