On August 2 at Saratoga Race Course, Sierra Leone delivered a thrilling performance to capture the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, the featured race on Whitney Day. Breaking last in a deep and talented nine-horse field that included standouts like Fierceness and White Abarrio, the colt showed patience early before unleashing a powerful rally in the stretch. With Flavien Prat expertly guiding him from the rear, Sierra Leone surged past his rivals in the final furlong to win by a full length over Highland Falls. He stopped the clock in 1:48.92 for the 1 1/8-mile contest over a fast main track.
The victory marked another major milestone for trainer Chad Brown and solidified Sierra Leone’s position among the elite in the older horse division. But this victory didn’t only give Chad Brown a secure spot in the Breeders’ Cup, but also taught him the biggest lesson. Chad Brown has enjoyed tremendous success at Saratoga over the years, capturing nearly every major stakes race on the calendar. But until now, the Whitney Stakes had always eluded him. That changed emphatically this year, as Brown finally added the ambiguous Grade 1 Whitney to his impressive list of Saratoga victories. But this sweep came to him after a major quirk in the race, a controversial one.
Chad Brown’s thrilling Whitney victory came shortly after a frustrating day when his horse Zulu Kingdom (Ire), who crossed first in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, was controversially disqualified and placed fourth. Despite his obvious disappointment with the decision, Brown chose to remain silent and focused on moving forward, channeling his energy into preparing for the Whitney, where he ultimately found success. But remaining mum on the issue, Brown has finally shared his thoughts on it. And described how the disqualification pushed him to win ultimately.
Credit; IG/ @chadcbrown
The trainer said, “This is way up there. Definitely one of the most memorable days I have had in racing. My family—my mom, my dad, my kids, my brother, my nephew—were all there. To win the race I had not won yet with the greatest horse I have ever trained… all those factors made it one of the most memorable days in my career for sure.” And also added, “The day before was very challenging with the disqualification. I didn’t agree with it, but that’s horse racing and that’s professional sport. It comes with territory. Some things are out of your control.”
After Zulu Kingdom (trained by Chad Brown) crossed the finish line first at Saratoga, jockey Joel Rosario aboard Luther lodged an objection, alleging interference. He claimed that the Zulu Kingdom drifted inward, causing jockey Javier Castellano on Tiz Dashing to check and ultimately impede his mount, Luther, during the first turn approaching the clubhouse turn. Following a protracted review by the stewards, officials agreed that Zulu Kingdom was the culprit and disqualified him from first place, demoting him to fourth place, which elevated Luther’s position to first and shifted Clever Again to second and Tiz Dashing to third.
But later, Chad Brown described the actual reason behind his decision to move on quickly from what happened in the race, which resulted in a victory. Chad Brown further said, “I thought we had some good karma coming by not getting bogged down by the disqualification or trying to blame other people. With a good group of horses, we had a run on Saturday. I didn’t want to get distracted, I had to train horses. But I also have to be a leader. I can’t allow everyone to lose focus and to dwell on getting into some debate as to what happened.” This was also an emotional moment for him. Per a report by BloodHorse, the disqualification followed by victory left him teary-eyed.
Victory leaves Chad Brown emotional over personal reasons
In a report by BloodHorse, Chad Brown was captured praising his horse. The trainer noted that although the horse didn’t win at Saratoga, the track conditions were somewhat unfavorable. He pointed out that, based on speed figures, the horse actually posted some of his fastest numbers at that venue. Brown expressed confidence that with a clean trip and a solid pace ahead, the horse would perform well.
Credit: IG/ @chadcbrown
Brown then remembered his previous days in New York. A native of nearby Mechanicville, N.Y., Brown has cemented his legacy at Saratoga with seven Spa training titles and a long list of Grade 1 victories. He said, “Growing up around here, the Whitneys and Travers are what the whole meet has been built around since its early days, so, for me to finally get one of them with my mom and dad here, my brother, my two daughters, it’s memories that last forever. This is a really, really hard race to win, and you have to have the right horse.” Still, one race had stubbornly eluded him—until Saturday. With his breakthrough win in the Whitney, Brown finally crossed off one of the few remaining goals in his accomplished career, making the moment even more special given its significance at his home track.
Sierra Leone’s victory marked the eighth graded stakes triumph in 2025 for leading sire Gun Runner, who continues to build on his legacy as one of the most influential stallions in North America. This year alone, his offspring have delivered on the biggest stages, including Locked’s victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and Vahva’s dominant performance in the Grade 2 Chicago Stakes. Gun Runner, who stands at Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Kentucky, commanded a stud fee of $250,000 for the 2025 breeding season. It has reflected his growing impact on the sport and his reputation for producing high-quality, versatile runners with both speed and stamina.
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