Arrest Me Red points to Belmont's Jaipur Stakes
LOUISVILE, Ky. – Arrest Me Red appears unlikely to join trainer Wesley Ward's contingent heading to the renowned Royal Ascot meeting in England next month, but he will have his own Grade 1 engagement on this side of the pond.
Arrest Me Red won the fifth stakes race of his career in Friday's Grade 2, $500,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint. Ward said the colt is likely to point to the Grade 1, $400,000 Jaipur Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard, June 11. Arrest Me Red is already a graded stakes winner on the Belmont course, as he won the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational last October.
"The Jaipur's a Grade 1, he's a winner on the course," Ward said.
Another obvious fact, of course, is that if Arrest Me Red were to head to Royal Ascot, he would likely have to face Ward's brilliant Golden Pal, who is targeting the Group 1 King’s Stand on June 14. The colt, winner of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and 2021 Turf Sprint, is the undisputed divisional leader after winning the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland to open this season. Ward also has Campanelle, a two-time winner at Royal Ascot, slated for the event's other open sprint, the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee on June 18.
"If he went over there, he'd have to run into Golden Pal – not sure anybody in the world wants to do that right now," Ward said. "I know they'll certainly line up to do it [at Royal Ascot], but I wouldn't want to line any of mine up there. [Golden Pal] is doing tremendous. But [Arrest Me Red] ran a huge race."
Arrest Me Red, who races as a homebred for Roy and Gretchen Jackson, won two of his first four career starts while trained by Arnaud Delacour, one of the couple's regular trainers. The colt was moved to Ward's barn and won all three of his starts in 2021, taking the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga, the Belmont Turf Sprint, and the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship. He was third in the Silks Run to start this season in a prep for the Twin Spires.
"I’m grateful to the Jacksons for sending him to me," Ward said.
Arrest Me Red earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint.