Chad Brown

Chad C. Brown (born December 18, 1978) is an American racehorse trainer. Brown's achievements include two Preakness Stakes victories and multiple Breeders' Cup wins. In 2024 Brown's Sierra Leone won the Breeders' Cup Classic and the Eclipse Award for American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse. He has won five Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer. In 2019, he was the first America trainer to be ranked first in the World Training Standings according to the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary (TRC) Global Rankings.

Initially labeled as a turf trainer because of his initial successes, particularly with training fillies and mares, he went on to produce winners with horses of all sexes at a variety of distances and surfaces. , Brown has trained 19 Breeders' Cup winners, and 14 Eclipse Award winners. During high school, Brown gained hands-on experience with Standardbreds at Saratoga Raceway, where he learned the intricacies of breaking and training horses. Despite his early work with Standardbreds, his ambition was always to work with Thoroughbreds.

While pursuing a degree in animal science at Cornell University, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian, Brown took a summer job with Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. Starting as a hot-walker, he quickly advanced to a groom, before earning the role of foreman. After graduating, Brown realized that his true passion lay in training horses rather than veterinary medicine, leading him to pursue a career as a Thoroughbred trainer.

Controversy In April of 2022, Chad Brown was arrested on charges of domestic violence for allegedly pushing a woman down a flight of stairs and trying to choke her.

Training career Brown's career as a trainer was significantly influenced by his five-year mentorship with Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel, beginning in 2002. While working as an assistant trainer under Frankel, Brown split his time between Southern California and Saratoga while also overseeing Frankel's operations in Kentucky, (Keeneland and Churchill Downs), Monmouth Park and Gulfstream Park. Intercontinental, Brown dedicated Cloud Computing's Preakness Stakes win to Frankel, stating that, "I feel this is for him... without his mentorship I certainly wouldn't be here."

In 2007, Brown gained national attention at the Breeders' Cup, when he stepped in for Frankel, who could not be at the races, Shortly after, Brown established his own stable with a small string of ten horses, including those owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and Gary and Mary West. His first win as an independent trainer came at Churchill Downs in a $5,000 claiming race Brown spent the winter at Oaklawn Park and later moved to Keeneland, where he achieved his second win. finishing the meet with 6 wins from 18 starters, including the debut of the two-year-old filly Maram, Maram went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park, giving Brown his first Breeder's Cup win.

In 2009, Brown won his first New York Racing Association training title at the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet. In 2010, Brown saddled 17 winners at Saratoga Race Course finishing third in the standings. In 2011, Brown won his first career Grade I race with the French-bred mare Zagora in the Diana Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Brown tied for the Belmont Racetrack fall training title and his second NYRA training title with 21 wins. In 2013, Brown ranked third among North American trainers, earning $13,395,419 in purse money. Highlights included Big Blue Kitten's victories in the United Nations Handicap, the Sword Dancer Invitational, and the Arlington Million with Real Solution for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, with his stable earning $15,383,930 in purse money. and trained Big Blue Kitten, who won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf Horse.

Brown took over the training of Juddmonte Farm's Flintshire in 2016, who then won the Manhattan Stakes (G1) in his first start under Brown. On August 24 at Saratoga, Brown earned his 1,000th career win with Mr. Maybe. He ended the Saratoga meet with 40 wins and the leading trainer title. His wins included the Hopeful Stakes (G1) with Practical Joke, his first graded stakes win on the dirt at Saratoga. That year he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer for the first time.

Brown won his first Triple Crown race in 2017 with Cloud Computing in the Preakness Stakes, an upset victory at odds of 13:1. and the Eclipse Award for Champion Two Year Old Colt. became the Champion Turf Female. In 2018, Brown had 20 Grade 1 victories and 47 graded wins overall, earning $27,546,057, Brown's fourth win in that specific race, the most by any trainer. Sistercharlie was named Champion Turf Female and Brown won his third consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer. His achievements included three more Breeders' Cup victories, bringing his career total to fifteen, placing him third all-time among trainers. Significant wins in 2019 included Bricks and Mortar's victories in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, the Manhattan Stakes, and the Arlington Million, leading to winning the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. Brown also trained Uni, who was Champion Turf Female. Brown himself scored his fourth consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer. Brown saw his 2,000th career win in 2021 with Digital Software at Saratoga on August 7.

Brown won his second Preakness Stakes in 2022 with Early Voting. In the fall, Brown increased his total Breeders' Cup wins to 16. and was ranked number one in the North America Training rankings, leading the United States in earnings with a total of $31,057,362, with 244 wins, and 51 Graded Stakes victories. He had nine Grade I winners and two Breeders’ Cup victories in 2023. and won the Breeders' Cup Classic. Brown also achieved a record ninth win in the Diana Stakes with Whitebeam. Additionally, Brown again won the training title at Saratoga Race Course meet with 45 wins, six in Grade I races, his seventh Saratoga title and his 32nd at a New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) meet. Brown had earnings of $30,866,710 for the year, bringing his career total to $306,154,922.

Year-end rankings, earnings and wins

+North American Rankings, Earnings and Wins Year# of StartsRank by EarningsEarningsRank by WinsWinsWin%WPS%200744,908$13,960125%50%2008155146$1,570,9863120%50%2009221112$1,733,2405023%55%201030732$3,046,7106722%56%201141015$5,243,488509523%56%20124945$11,060,7101713828%63%20135433$13,375,4191514827%61%20145812$15,383,9301514725%57%20157682$20,235,459620427%57%20167631$23,134,394918224%57%20178201$26,202,164721326%61%20188391$27,546,057522427%61%20198231$31,112,144622027%62%20207464$16,578,956917423%60%20218393$22,213,7401119623%58%20229201$31,057,362424427%52%20239094$25,715,901420723%54%