BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 31, 2026

Chad Brown

Michael Dubb

Michael Caruso

Kathynmarissa

Keeneland Race Course

Filly & Mare Turf

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, congratulations, Kathynmarissa. This mare just has been so impressive this year. She's been so consistent. Pointing to this race and the distance, was this the perfect setup for her?

CHAD BROWN: Yeah, it really was. I have a bunch of experience not only in this race but at Keeneland. I've run in all three editions and I've had one of the horses to beat.

I've learned a lot about running at this track at this distance, and this filly really carried all the qualities.

When Mike and Mike transferred me this horse about two years ago now, one of the things in the back of their mind was the Breeders' Cup if we could ever get there.

Mike Dubb, I've been training for him for, I don't know, about 17 years now, and I've never had a horse that he was more interested in, checked on, has a real attachment to the horse, in a good way, and really believes in. That was enough for me, so I took the task on.

She has nearly a perfect record with us.

Again, this Keeneland course at this distance, had a lot of confidence coming into this race. I have won with Stephanie's Kitten the first time they had the race here and cutting back off a mile and a quarter in the Flower Bowl, and she had that stamina that it took to get up in the last few jumps and win.

I came in here with two favorites in Italian and Rushing Fall that were probably best at a mile, in the 16th to mile-and-an-eighth horses, multiple Grade 1 winners. But that long Keeneland mile and 3/16, they both got grabbed by the wire.

When I was reading all the hype about the European horses and saw their form, which was quite scary and quite impressive, I just had a feeling that this long Keeneland track, I've had it happen to me, and I've gotten beat by Euros with an Italian.

But it'll get you. You have to have mile-and-a-quarter stamina to run the mile and 3/16 here.

THE MODERATOR: You needed every bit of that today to catch Gimme a Nother with a perfectly timed ride by José Ortiz.

CHAD BROWN: He did, and Gimme a Nother got a great trip and got a good split off the turn. I was quite concerned not only that she cut the corner, but our horse didn't really seem to be going anywhere. She lost the bridle somewhere between the half-mile pole and the quarter pole to where you'll see on the replay on the turn, José reached back and actually hit her one time on the turn, which is never a good sign when you're entering the stretch and you're under the stick.

But he knows this filly. I've learned more about this filly from watching him ride her, as I sort of unwrapped the package this season. This was my first full season with her of campaigning her. I know she trains and I know what races to put her in, but as I watched those two work together, José knew enough to not give up on her just put her in clear sailing with no cover, and didn't she grab the bit again and got there.

I know it's that relationship the two have built through the season that really made the difference from the quarter pole.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of relationships, as you said, you've had a long relationship with Michael Dubb, and Chad alluded to this filly has a special attachment. When you named her, you must have thought, this one better be good?

MICHAEL DUBB: I did, and this is a great story because these are actually bankers, who one of them now works for me, but they did the original loan for the Adelphi in Saratoga. I told them when they got that loan done I would name a horse after that. I think they're on the ride of a lifetime themselves. They haven't missed a race. They've had so much fun. It's such an honor.

THE MODERATOR: Mike Caruso, just being on a ride along with this group and this mare, now I understand she's in the sale next, so --

MICHAEL CARUSO: Yeah, I'm just a minority partner in this. Mike has always been good to me for 20 years. He's the CEO. I'm a lower-level vice president. But I made the comment before I met Mike Dubb and he introduced me to Chad Brown, the closest I ever got to a Grade 1 horse was stepping in the manure outside of the stall.

So these guys, they put me into what is heaven, and this is heaven. You can tell by my voice. It doesn't get any better than this. This is why you do all the push-ups. This is why you lift all the weights. This is why you do it all.

Thank you, Mike. Thank you, Chad. I'm indebted to you guys forever.

Q. Chad, this weekend is about global competition. Was it a bit sweeter to beat the Europeans on their surface, so to speak?

CHAD BROWN: It was, in the most sportsmanship way, especially after yesterday. I only had one runner in the juvenile fillies turf, a race that I've had great success in with six wins. My filly wasn't effective yesterday at all. Today I'm getting messages from friends and clients about did you see the Euros went 1 through 7 here and 1 through 5 here and grass racing is over in America and gloom and doom.

I was like, well, yeah, it wasn't a good day for the Americans yesterday on our home turf.

But I just had a feeling today, again, going back to the distance and the dimensions of this track and how it plays, and I've had tremendous heartbreak in the shadow of the wire with Rushing Fall and Italian who were absolutely home here.

You can have great form, but you have to have tremendous stamina on this course and this trip.