Technical Analysis wins her fourth Graded race

The four-year-old daughter of Kingman claimed the Gr.2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday (27th August).

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 8th August 2022:

Technical Analysis controlled this event from the outset to notch a third graded stakes victory at Saratoga (and fourth in total) and lead home a one-two for trainer Chad Brown, who has now won five of the last six Ballston Spas and a record seven overall.

A winner of both the G.3 Lake George Stakes and Gr.2 Lake Placid Stakes here last season, the bay was second to stablemate Shantisara in Keeneland's Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October. She resurfaced to just miss in Aqueduct's Plenty of Grace Stakes in April before airing in Pimlico's Gr.3 Galorette Stakes in May and finishing second in the Gr.1 Diana Stakes over nine furlongs in July.

Away well from the widest of five stalls, Technical Analysis took over into the first turn as fellow Brown runner Lemista backed off to hand things over to the favourite. Technical Analysis doled out splits of :24.47, :48.92 and 1:12.87 and seemed to be cruising as she approached the straight. Fluffy Socks sliced out into the clear and flew home late to cut it close, but Technical Analysis's edge proved insurmountable and she was saved by the wire.

"That's why I put multiple horses in these races, to let them settle it out on the track rather than hypotheticals [like] 'I could have won if I had got to run.' When the horses are ready to run
and they're all eligible for the same race that fits them the best, they'll run against each other. It was a great horse race down to the wire," said Brown. "It's going to be tricky now [for Technical Analysis]. The distances are going to change and we're either going to have to cut her back or move her forward. The [Gr.1] First Lady at Keeneland cutting back to a mile would be an obvious spot for Technical Analysis."