They’re not calling him ‘Downtown Brown’ — not just yet. Although, if Brady Brown keeps coming from downtown with longshot winners at the Meadows, the nickname just might stick.
Brown was it again last Saturday when he roared off the cones late with Lord Of Winterfell to take the Preferred Handicap Pace at a lush 35-1. His two other winners that day were priced at 5-1 — not extreme outsiders, but hardly favourites.
Brown will shoot for another big day this Saturday (first post 1:05 p.m.), with eight scheduled drives — TGs Divine Scene (Race 2, Post 6), Showing My Hand (Race 3, Post 6), Lord Of Winterfell (Race 4, Post 8), Juniors Dew (Race 5, Post 5), Status Quo (Race 6, Post 4), Uncle Bud (Race 7, Post 8), Phi Alpha (Race 8, Post 8), One Bad Night (Race 9, Post 4). As usual, the morning line odds for some of Brown’s mounts, including 20-1 for Showing My Hand and Juniors Dew, are sky high.
As a 24-year-old still trying to establish himself, Brown sometimes must deal with limited driving opportunities. Still, his ability to get the most from lightly regarded horses is uncanny. In addition to his 35-1 victory last week, he’s scored recently at 56-1 at the Meadows and 101-1 at Northfield Park. Even when he’s not winning, he’s live with longshots. Already this year, he’s finished second 10 times with horses sent off at 9-1 or longer, to the delight of exotics players who kept the faith. He’s also won with three favourites this year, so he’s no one-trick pony.
“I know those odds are more or less because of me,” Brown says. “I’m just starting out and trying to get my feet under me. No matter what the odds are, I’ll use my horse the same way.”
Brown, a Slippery Rock native and resident, got into harness racing through his father, Terry Brown, and grandfather, Robert Brown, who trained and raced horses from their base at the Butler County Fairgrounds.
As a teenager, he started jogging horses for trainer Steve Schoeffel and, in recent years, has become Schoeffel’s go-to guy on the PA fairs circuit. The duo attracted considerable attention in 2015 when they guided Royaltyhasarrived to 10 straight victories and a divisional championship at the fairs and turned him into a fine raceway campaigner as well.
Brown knows that if he continues to succeed, more assignments will come his way.
“I sure hope they do,” he says. “If I keep my head on right and don’t get silly, I think I’ll be all right.”
And Downtown Brown doesn’t care how many light bulbs it takes to display his odds.
“When you see the big numbers up there, it shocks you,” he says. “You know people don’t expect you to win. So when it does happen, it makes me smile a little bit.”
Saturday’s card includes a $15,000 total-pool guarantee for the Pick 5 (Races 7-11). Also, Mychoice members can compete in the Road to the Triple Crown Thoroughbred Handicapping Contest. More information is available at the retail counter in the track’s racebook.
(Meadows)