Chad Brown’s Portfolio expands Grade 1 success for Night Of Thunder in New York Stakes

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British-bred Portfolio Duration maintained her rapid progression for the Chad Brown stable with a Grade 1 strike at her first attempt in Friday’s New York Stakes at Saratoga.

Produced by Michael Wates at Langton Stud in Dorset, the four-year-old filly became an 11th top-level winner – and third in America – for Darley’s current champion sire Night Of Thunder.

Portfolio Duration was having only her fifth start in the Klaravich Stables colours, having landed a maiden at Tampa Bay Downs last December and an allowance race in March before being beaten a neck in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on Kentucky Derby weekend. 

This was a close-run thing again, as the in-form Flavien Prat drove her home up the rails but just a head in front of Cankoura (by Persian King), the French challenger for the Aga Khan Studs and Francis Graffard. Brown had decided to step her up in distance to 1m 1½f and also sent out third-placed Kathynmarissa, City Girl for fourth and Pretty Picture in fifth.

“The horse Graffard shipped in sure ran a great race, but our filly, I'm proud of her, and I'm also appreciative she got to the wire ahead of that one, but two nice fillies hit the wire there together,” Brown said.

“Naturally, just handicapping the race on a stretch-out from a mile to a mile and three sixteenths, that's a pretty good jump. When you look at the fractions she ran last time, she figured to be on the lead if she broke well, so we gave him full clearance to do that and it just wasn't clear who would be out there with her.”

Brown added that Portfolio Duration and stablemates would be considered for the Grade 1 Dunkin’ Diana back at Saratoga on July 18.

“I think a slight cutback at a mile and an eighth would be good [for Portfolio Duration] if she's good and healthy, and then we'll have to see if any of these others end up in that type of race,” he said.

Portfolio Duration is herself from an Aga Khan family and out of the winning Dansili mare Shemya, who was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock for €160,000 at Arqana in 2014 at the end of her racing career. She descends from Prix de Diane winner Shemaka.

Shemya was previously responsible for Cormorant, a son of Kingman who won the Leopardstown Derby Trial in 2020 and had been an incredible pinhook for Kilminfoyle House Stud when knocked down to MV Magnier for 1,050,000gns at Tattersalls.

Portfolio Duration followed the same path and was picked up for 185,000gns as a foal but was considerably less popular at Book 1, making 150,000gns to Mike Ryan.

Langton Stud offered her Modern Games three-parts brother at last year’s December Foal Sale, who was bought by Glencoole for 75,000gns.

Klaravich Stables, Brown and Ryan have already had Grade 1 success with another Night Of Thunder filly, Dynamic Pricing, in last year’s Just A Game Stakes, while the sire was also responsible for last year’s Jenny Wiley Stakes winner Choisya.

The Acorn Stakes, a nine-furlong dirt event for three-year-olds earlier on the card, provided a landmark first Grade 1 for Lane’s End stallion Honor A.P. through his Mark Casse-trained daughter Counting Stars. 

She is from the second crop of the Santa Anita Derby winner, who is standing for a fee of $7,500 and has produced Jamie Osborne’s popular traveller Heart Of Honor.

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