Jeff Drown

GISW And Classic-Placed Zandon Retired To Spendthrift Farm

Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart--Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause) has been retired and has arrived at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky ahead of stallion duty in 2024, the farm announced. The dark bay will stand for $12,500 stands and nurses and will participate in Spendthrift's "Share the Upside" program on a limited basis for a fee of $15,000 for two years. "We are excited about Zandon and the ability to offer a Grade I winner with his physical through our Share The Upside program. He's what they should look like," said...

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Long Weekend, Keeneland's Haggin Turf Course Hosts A Trio Of Graded Races

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue. According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course. Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving...

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GISW Zandon Powers Home A Winner In The Woodward S.

A groomsman no more. After three consecutive second-place efforts from as many starts this season, Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart) finally got his place at the altar with a come-from-behind victory in the rescheduled GII Woodward S. at Belmont's Aqueduct meet. Not seen in the winner's enclosure since a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail, the 4-year-old continued to throw good performance after good performance throughout the rest of last year and into his season's campaign. Just this year alone, he's finished behind...

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Thursday's Insights: Pricey Nyquist OBS April Grad Tries Turf On Debut

5th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:10 p.m. MALARCHUK (Nyquist) makes his debut on grass around two turns for owners Richard Schermerhorn, Jeff Drown and Michael J. Ryan and trainer Chad Brown at the Big A. The $535,000 OBS April Sale graduate, previously a $145,000 RNA as a FTKOCT yearling, is the third to race out of Seize the Ring (Tiznow). Malarchuk's dam is out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Catch the Ring (Seeking the Gold), who is responsible for another north of the border champion in Catch the Thrill...

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Saturday Insights: Zandon Makes His Return

8th-AQU, $84K, OC, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:06 p.m. ZANDON (Upstart), last seen running fourth Dec. 3 in the GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, returns to the scene on Saturday in this spot for owner Jeff Drown. Receiving Lasix for the first time, the Chad Brown trainee will be ridden by Flavien Prat and will leave from gate two. Zandon's 3-year-old campaign included a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., and a pair of third-place finishes in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Runhappy Travers S. His dam Memories Prevail...

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Into Mischief's Root Cause Overcomes Traffic to Earn 'Rising Star' Nod

Root Cause (f, 3, Into Mischief--Vertical Vision {MSW, $202,979), by Pollard's Vision), second at Saratoga Aug. 14 last season in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden which yielded SP Towhead (Malibu Moon), SP Beauitfulnavigator (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}), and SP Forever Dixie (Quality Road), made it look effortless here en route to 'TDN Rising Star'-dom at 1-5 favoritism in her 2023 bow over Gulfstream Park grass. Breaking well but in no hurry to challenge the eager early speed, Root Cause stalked from the two path in third through the first bend....

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Early Voting to Jim Dandy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY- Klaravich Stables's GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) was shipped from Belmont Park to Saratoga Race Course Sunday and will run in the GII Jim Dandy July 30. Trainer Chad Brown announced that Early Voting will go in the Jim Dandy with stablemate Zandon (Upstart), rather than face another stablemate, unbeaten Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI Haskell S. July 23. Brown is aiming all three of his graded stakes-winning 3-year-old colts for Saratoga's signature race, the $1.25-million GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 27. He...

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Owner Who Filed Remsen Protest Surprised NYSGC Won't Hear It

A Monday news story in the Blood-Horse stating that the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) would be taking no action on a formal protest lodged by the owner of the runner-up in the Dec. 4 GII Remsen S. came as a surprise to that owner and his attorney, who told TDN later in the day they had received no communication from the commission indicating that the protest wouldn't be allowed to advance. The matter involves Jeff Drown, the owner of Remsen second-place finisher Zandon (Upstart), who said that the...

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The Week in Review: Time to Bring the Hammer Down on The Juice Man

The Jorge Navarro case was back in the news last week as lawyers representing the federal government submitted a sentencing letter regarding the disgraced trainer to Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. They recommended that Navarro get the maximum allowable sentence for doping racehorses under his care, five years. He will be sentenced Friday. The government lawyers did their job and they did it well, and they want no mercy for the Juice Man. Read the sentencing letter and the first conclusion you will come to is probably the same one I...

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Owner of Remsen Runner-up Protesting Non-DQ of Winner

The owner of the runner-up in last Saturday's GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct has lodged a protest with the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) over the stewards' non-disqualification of the winner by a nose in that race after both an inquiry and a jockey's foul claim regarding the stretch run. Dave Grening of Daily Racing Form first reported the news on Thursday. He quoted Jeff Drown, the owner of second-place finisher Zandon (Upstart), who said that the actions of victor Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and that colt's jockey, Irad...

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Aug. 19 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MORE MOONSHINE TAKES ON WINNERS 4th-SAR, $103K, Alw, 3yo/up, f, 1 1/8m, 2:49p.m. Summer Wind homebred MORE MOONSHINE (Malibu Moon) looks to make good on her 'TDN Rising Star' debut while trying two turns for the first time here. Making her first trip to the post in a seven-panel event in the mud at this oval July 18, the dark bay rallied five-wide to post a powerful victory, earning her diploma by 6 1/2 lengths and an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. More Moonshine is a...

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Record-Setting June Sale Concludes

OCALA, FL - The three-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds more than bounced back from its 2020 pandemic-induced lull, ending Friday with its highest-ever gross and average and with a record-tying median. In all, 560 juveniles grossed $24,492,950 for an average of $43,737--besting the previous record figures of $23,475,500 and $39,722, respectively, set in 2015. The cumulative median was $20,000. With 125 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.2%. "The June sale is all grown up now," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "I...

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