Country Grammer

Country Grammer began his career trained by Chad Brown, for whom he broke his maiden as a juvenile in his second career start on Nov. 11, 2019, in a 1 1/8-mile race at Aqueduct. He returned for his 3-year-old season debut in the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 29, 2020, and ran fifth. He later finished third in an allowance optional claiming race at Belmont on June 4.

Brown then pointed Country Grammer to the postponed Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan Stakes at Saratoga on July 16. He saved ground through the far turn and made a move for the lead on the inside and survived some bumping to win by a neck. Country Grammer made his final start of 2020 with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes on Aug. 8.

Country Grammer was put on the shelf for the rest of his 3-year-old season. When he returned for his next start as a 4-year-old on April 17, 2021, he was transferred to the southern California-based barn of trainer Bob Baffert. His comeback race resulted in a second-place finish to Royal Ship by a neck in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Country Grammer faced Royal Ship again in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup on Memorial Day, May 31, at Santa Anita, and the pair dueled once again through the stretch in an exciting finish. Under strong urging from Flavien Prat, Country Grammer out finished his rival by a head and scored a breakthrough Grade 1 victory.

Following a second-place finish in the Group 1 Saudi Cup to begin his 2022 season, Country Grammer closed from behind to win the Group 1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan on Mar. 26.

He then took an extended break after his Dubai World Cup score and returned in the $300,000 San Diego Handicap July 30 at Del Mar, where he finished second to familiar rival Royal Ship. Country Grammer made his next start in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes Sept. 3 at Del Mar, where he finished a distant second behind unbeaten Flightline. After that runner-up effort, Country Grammer returned on Oct. 1 for the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park where he made his customary stretch rally to nab second near the finish line but was no threat to wire-to-wire winning stablemate, Defunded.

Country Grammer ended his 2022 campaign with an emphatic victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio on opening day of the Santa Anita winter meet on Dec. 26.  He raced in mid-pack off of solid fractions and made his move to the lead on the turn before drawing off to a 4 1/2 length victory in a time of 1:43.45 for the 1 1/16 miles. With jockey Frankie Dettori aboard, Country Grammer was sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of six and returned $3.20 to win.  The race was considered a prep race for what likely would be a return to the Middle East for Country Grammer in 2023.

After racing six times in 2022 and never finishing any worse than second, Country Grammer kept that trend going to begin his 2023 campaign, but not with the win he was hoping for. For the second straight year, Country Grammer was sent to the world's richest horse racing in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 25, 2023, and for the second straight year has had to settle for second. He came with a strong late rally down the center of the track but was unable to catch front running Japanese based Panthalassa and finished clearly second best.  In his subsequent start on March 25, Country Grammer attempted to defend his 2022 title in the $12 million Dubai World Cup, but he fell well short, finishing seventh when beaten 13 lengths.

Country Grammer is out of the winning Forestry mare Arabian Song and from the family of Grade 2 winner Starformer and French Group 1 winner Etoile Montante.