The most overlooked member of the Chad Brown quartet on the odds board, Surge Capacity , bested them all to give her trainer a record seventh victory in the Lake George Stakes (G3T) July 21 at Saratoga Race Course.
A homebred for longtime Brown client Klaravich Stables, Surge Capacity was also the most lightly raced of the foursome, entering the $175,000 one-mile turf test with only one race, a debut triumph, on her resume. The Flintshire filly echoed her Monmouth Park maiden at the Spa on Friday, rallying up the fence late to score by three-quarters of a length over stablemate Tax Implications . The result proved to be a 1-2 finish for Klaravich’s Seth Klarman, who purchased the British-bred Tax Implications overseas at the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for $356,551 through bloodstock agent Mike Ryan.
Breaking smoothly from the 2 post, Surge Capacity rode the rail under Joel Rosario for much of the journey, tracking the pacesetters behind fractions of :24.97 and :49.84. The watered-down turf, which Brown later said hindered favored Liguria from putting forth her best effort, mattered little to Surge Capacity, who strode up to the leaders full of run coming off the final turn.
Driving into the lane, race leader Secret Money drifted out slightly in midstretch, allowing Surge Capacity and Rosario to plow through a narrow opening on the fence into daylight. Surge Capacity powered past Secret Money and secured the win over a late-rallying Tax Implications, who edged Secret Money for runner-up honors.
“That horse (Secret Money) came off the rail a little bit and I think that was the winning move,” Rosario said. “The turf was in good condition and I think she liked it.’
Surge Capacity, returning $13 for a $2 win ticket, raced the mile in 1:38 over a yielding turf course.
“(Surge Capacity has) been straightforward,” Brown said. “She took a while to get to the races, but she’s 2-for-2 to start her career in only her second start winning a graded stakes against some nice fillies. She’s a pretty talented horse, I’d say.
“This was the one I was going to run if it came off. I know, Flintshire on the dirt, but she has never trained bad on the dirt. I’m not saying I’ll put her there off this, but I’m going to see how she trains over it. She might be a pretty versatile horse.”
Brown’s other runners, Revalita and Liguria, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Strong Incentive , the dam of Surge Capacity, was also campaigned by Klaravich and raced by Brown. The daughter of Warrior’s Reward has produced three winners from three foals to race so far, including last year’s Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) victor Highly Motivated .
“We bred (Surge Capacity) and we don’t breed too many horses, but occasionally we’ll keep a mare or two and generally we sell them and buy new yearlings per our business model,” Brown said. “Occasionally, we’ll keep a mare or two if we don’t get the price we want. This has been a nice mare, she’s a half sister to Highly Motivated, who finished a nose to Essential Quality in the Blue Grass (Stakes, G1) and ran in the (Kentucky) Derby (G1). It’s been a good broodmare. Everything she throws seems to have New York-level ability.”
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