For Mechanicville native and horse racing trainer Chad Brown, 2016 was an extraordinary year. In addition to breaking the Saratoga Race Course meet record for wins, he has been officially recognized as the best trainer of 2016 by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA)!
Photo: Chad Brown (pictured right); provided by Lady and the Track; photo credit to Robin Buchanan
Born in Mechanicville, NY, Chad Brown became familiar with Saratoga Race Course at an early age. He attended many summer meets with his family, and in high school, began to work with Standardbred trainer Paul Kelly at the Saratoga Casino Hotel (formerly Saratoga Raceway).
Once Brown set his sights on becoming a horse racing trainer, he never looked back. In 2008, he won with the first horse he started at Saratoga Race Course, and then his horse Maram won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Over the years, Brown has achieved much success as a horse racing trainer throughout the United States, but Saratoga Race Course has remained his home track. In 2016, after five years of finishing runner up as the leading trainer at Saratoga Race Course, Brown not only won, but he broke the meet record!
The previous record for a Saratoga Race Course meet was 38 wins set by trainer Todd Pletcher in 2011. Brown earned $4,889,285 in 2016 at the Saratoga Race Course meet, and he saddled 40 winners, setting a new record.
That wasn’t Brown’s only achievement in 2016. He also recorded his 1,000th career victory at Saratoga Race Course on August 24th, 2016.
In recognition of his success in 2016, the NTRA selected Brown as the winner of the 2016 Eclipse Award for Most Outstanding Trainer!
Sources:
- Saratogian – Eclipse Awards: Mechanicville’s Chad Brown honored, California Chrome wins Horse of the Year
- NYRA – Chad Brown clinches title, sets Saratoga Race Course meet record for wins
- America’s Best Racing – Chad C. Brown
