Adena Springs, owned by Frank Stronach, has chosen Chad Brown as the new trainer of Awesome Feather, the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner it bought for $2.3 million Nov. 7 at Fasig-Tipton’s The November Sale near Lexington.
Adena Springs will soon send the filly to Brown’s barn at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla., Adena Springs General Manager Eric Hamelback said on Nov. 8.
The unbeaten Awesome Feather has run all six of her races for Jacks Or Better Farm of Ocala, Fla., which sold her Nov. 7, and its regular trainer Stanley Gold. All of her wins prior to her Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup victory were at Calder Casino & Race Course.
Brown, 33, trains several other horses for Adena Springs, and was an assistant to Bobby Frankel before he became a head trainer in 2008. Frankel, who died in 2009, trained numerous horses for Adena Springs, including 2007 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner Ginger Punch.
Because Frankel was in California, Brown saddled Ginger Punch in that Breeders’ Cup race at Monmouth Park
“Chad has a long-time connection to Adena Springs,” Hamelback said. “He and Bobby did an outstanding job with Ginger Punch. His background with Bobby is one reason we are sending him this horse (Awesome Feather).”
Awesome Feather was bred in Florida by Jacks Or Better and is a daughter of Awesome of Course out of the Gone West mare Precious Feather.
Awesome of Course is a son of Awesome Again, the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Adena Springs raced and owns.
“The fact that she is a descendant of Awesome Again is one of the reasons that Frank (Stronach) was interested in her,” Hamelback said. “We were impressed by what her connections in Florida have done to get her to this level, and we hope we can continue that success.”
“It is still very early to talk about 2011,” Hamelback added. “But there are plans that would enable her to race at Gulfstream Park.”
As a 3-year-old, Awesome Feather’s targets at Gulfstream would be the Davona Dale (gr. III) at one mile Feb. 26 and the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles April 2. The Gulfstream Park Oaks was previously the Bonnie Miss.
