Chad Brown’s newest star Build to Suit wins Hudson Stakes

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NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Bill Heller

As yet another example of the brilliance of Chad Brown, who is well on his way to a fourth consecutive Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding trainer, Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s five-year-old ridgling Build to Suit notched his first stakes victory on Empire Showcase Day Saturday at Belmont Park, drawing away late to a 2 1/2 length triumph in the $150,000 Hudson Stakes under Manny Franco. Sent off the 6-5 favorite on the rail in the field of eight, Build to Suit won his second consecutive race in 1:15.88.

Front-running Eye Luv Lulu, who was 6-1 under Irad Ortiz Jr., salvaged second, three-quarters of a length ahead of 8-1 T Loves a Fight and Luis Saez. Gold for the King, who was 5-2 with Joel Rosario riding, finished fourth, a length and a quarter behind T Loves a Fight. Gold for the King was second by three-quarters of a length in last year’s Hudson Stakes.

Spendthrift Farm bred Build to Suit, a son of Dominus out of Aspen Mountain by Chief Seattle, who began his career by winning a maiden race by three-quarters of a length only to be disqualified and placed second. Build to Suit then posted three victories and two thirds, the last on October 13, 2017.

An injury knocked Build to Suit out of action for more than 15 months, but he returned better than ever, a tribute to Brown’s incredible proficiency of winning races off long layoffs. Build to Suit won his open allowance return by 6 1/4 lengths with Franco aboard for the first time on Jan. 26 at Aqueduct at 4-1.

Though Build to Suit had been out again for 6 1/2 months, Brown upped the ante by entering Build to Suit in his first stakes, the $100,000 John Morrissey, at Saratoga Aug. 4. Sent off at 5-2, Build to Suit lost a nose bob to Celtic Chaos.

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NYRA/Coglianese Photos

Build to Suit then won an open allowance race at 1-5 by 2 1/4 lengths Sept. 14. That set up Build to Suit perfectly for the Hudson, when he would again face Celtic Chaos.

Franco settled Build to Suit in fourth as Eye Luv Lulu and T Loves a Fight duked it out on the front end. Eye Luv Lulu nursed a narrow lead on T Loves a Fight through slow fractions, a quarter-mile in :23.24 and a half-mile in :46.06.

As they continued their battle through the stretch, Franco angled Built to Suit to the far outside and he kicked in quickly, blowing past the dueling leaders to win going away.

“By the five-sixteenths pole, I just tapped him, and he responded very well,” Franco said.

Brown deferred credit for Build to Suit’s performance. “We got a lot of help from Bruce Jackson down at Fair Hill,” Brown said. “He and his team did a great job with this horse. He sent this horse back to us in good shape, and he’s running as good as he ever was. He won’t do anything that would get you excited in the morning. He always runs a little bit better than I think he’s going to. He’s a real cool horse to be around and he’s earned everything that he gets. He’s all heart.”

Build to Suit is now six-for-10 with two seconds, two thirds and earnings of more than $340,000. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/build-to-suit-the-hudson-credit-chelsea-durand.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/build-to-suit-the-hudson.jpg
  3. VIDEO REPLAY: https://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20191019&track=BED&race=6

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/10/19/chad-browns-newest-star-build-to-suit-wins-hudson-stakes/