Brooklyn Strong takes Queens by storm in Remsen

By Tom Law

Daniel Velazquez admitted before Saturday’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct that he and Mark Schwartz might have caught a bit of “Derby fever” thanks to the early success of Brooklyn Strong.

No one could legitimately find serious fault for the trainer-owner tandem feeling even more under the spell of the Derby after Brooklyn Strong successfully negotiated the 9 furlongs and sloppy conditions he faced in the Remsen. The son of Wicked Strong won his second straight stakes in the Remsen, improved to 3-for-4, gained a significant boost for champion New York-bred 2-year-old male honors and added his name to Kentucky Derby watch lists from coast-to-coast.

Brooklyn Strong also earned 10 points toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby field with his Remsen win.

“We’ll come back healthy and then start picking our spots,” said Velazquez, who trains Brooklyn Strong out of his base at Delaware Park. “This is a big prep for the Derby moving forward. Now, we’re definitely Derby dreaming.”

Brooklyn Strong, bred in New York by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan and foaled at the couple’s Shamrock Hill Farm in Fort Edward, won by a neck over favored Ten for Ten in 1:50.60. Known Agenda, the second choice and winner of a 9-furlong maiden at Aqueduct last time out, finished 8 3/4 lengths back in third with Grade 3 Nashua winner Pickin’ Time another 8 1/4 lengths behind in fourth.

Joel Rosario allowed Brooklyn Strong to drop back early and they raced fourth in the early stages over the sloppy and sealed main track, saturated by well over an inch of rain Friday into Saturday. Ten for Ten, a $410,000 yearling purchase for Courtlandt Farms and trainer Shug McGaughey, set the pace ahead of Pickin’ Time, clicking off splits of :23.67, :47.86 and 1:12.69.

Brooklyn Strong raced 3 lengths back through the opening half before Rosario encouraged the gelding to get closer and into contention around the far turn.

“I broke well and it looked like they were running away from me a little bit, so I had to ride him to get position,” Rosario said. “I didn’t want to let him fall back, so I rode him to stay within a couple of lengths. I was happy with how he was progressing and I was confident he was going to have something left for the end.”

Ten for Ten led into the lane and was still up by a half-length at the eighth pole with Brooklyn Strong continuing his run while being carried a bit wide in the stretch.

Velazquez watched it unfold and felt confident that Brooklyn Strong would handle the trip and get the job done.

“I was very confident going in,” he said. “I knew the distance was key and I was confident about the off track. I was happy with his performance. He really dug in. Today was a big showcase for him against tougher competition.

“It’s tough. They paid a lot of money for him and we paid $5,000. You start to second guess yourself, but I knew he had the heart to grind it out.”

Brooklyn Strong added the Remsen to his victory over subsequent Notebook Stakes winner Eagle Orb in the Sleepy Hollow on Empire Showcase Day Oct. 24 at Belmont Park. He’d finished third in the Bertram F. Bongard 22 days before at Belmont prior to that win following a score in an open-company maiden claimer at Delaware Sept. 12.

Prudhomme and Gallivan sold Brooklyn Strong as a weanling for $30,000 out of their Shamrock Hill Farm consignment at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. He RNA’d as a yearling twice after that – for $42,000 and $6,000 – before being offered by Coastal Equine at the OBS Spring sale originally scheduled for April but pushed back to June due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Schwartz picked Brooklyn Strong out at OBS and earned his trainer’s approval, but neither expected the heights the gelding has achieved so far.

“The owner went down to Ocala and he called me and sent me a few pictures,” Velazquez said. “It was $5,000 and we decided to take a shot. We didn’t think he’d end up winning stakes races. Of course, we’re doing a little Derby dreaming, but we want to take it just one day at a time and stay healthy.”

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/12/05/brooklyn-strong-takes-queens-by-storm-in-remsen/

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