Horse Trainer Chad Brown Pushed Woman Down Stairs, Tried To Choke Her, Prosecutor Says

Chad Brown, a high-profile thoroughbred trainer who's horse won this year's Preakness Stakes, was arrested and charged with domestic violence after a woman accused him of pushing her down the stairs and attempting to choke her.

Assistant District Attorney Kayla Potter told a judge Thursday that Brown pushed the woman down the flight of stairs and pinned her to the ground, attempting to choke her before throwing her out of the house.

Brown's lawyers disputed the allegations, saying his home was broken into. Judge Francine Vero, who oversaw the case, sided against Brown, saying the court was "not in the business of accusing domestic violence victims."

He was reportedly charged with obstruction of breathing, which is a misdemeanor.

Chad Brown. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Brown's horse, Early Voting, won the Preakness Stakes in May. The 43-year-old trainer also won the Preakness in 2017 with Cloud Computing.

Brown ran his first horse in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, finishing fourth. Early Voting finished third in this year's Kentucky Derby.

Brown won the Eclipse Award for the nation's outstanding trainer four years in a row beginning in 2016.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. celebrates with trainer Chad Brown (left). (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

According to the Albany Times Union, Brown first faced legal trouble in 2019, when U.S. Department of Labor said he failed to pay overtime wages to employees.

Later that year, he agreed to pay more than $1.6 million in back pay, penalties and withheld overtime wages.