Grooms All Bizness catches Witty in Jim McKay Stakes

BALTIMORE — In turf sprints at Maryland, it’s usually Witty that makes the fastest late bid to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Saturday’s $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on soft turf was a different story, however, as the popular Witty was outwitted by jockey Jorge Ruiz and Grooms All Bizness.

Grooms All Bizness actually broke best from his inside draw, but Ruiz opted to let Boat’s a Rockin, That’s Right and Carotari set a quick early fraction of 23.13 seconds over the bottomless ground.

Ruiz remained covered up, followed favored Beer Can Man’s three-wide bid on the turn, was bottled up slightly behind Beer Can Man and a rallying Witty, eased to the far outside, then ran down Witty to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:01.08.

Witty placed second, a length ahead of Smooth B. Then came Where’s Ray, Beer Can Man, Hunter Joe, Boat’s a Rockin, Carotari, Surprise Boss and That’s Right.

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Charging and Mid Day Image scratched.

Grooms All Bizness paid $13.60 to win as the fourth choice in the betting.

Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr. for owner-breeder Colts Neck Stables, Grooms All Bizness started in the Jim McKay as a new gelding following a 279-day layoff. Duarte planned to run Grooms All Bizness in the King T. Leatherbury at Laurel on April 20, but horses that ran at Laurel that weekend had to quarantine at the track for two full weeks.

Duarte decided to wait for the Jim McKay.

“I think he was training better [since being gelded],” Duarte said. “He thinned out a little bit, which is good for him. He’s a horse where you want to let him get his feet under him, and he will give you that kick. We tried sending him before, but he didn’t have that kick.”

Witty lost nothing in defeat. “He’s as honest as they come,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said.

Smooth B is now winless from 15 turf tries, but he’s hit the board in 8 of them. “He’s a gamer,” trainer Butch Reid said.

Favored Beer Can Man, last year’s Jim McKay winner, loomed boldly from the outside on the turn, had a big look at things in upper stretch, then tired. Jockey Flavien Prat was hesitant to blame the ground. “I had a good trip. Turning for home, he made a little move. I thought he was going to run well, but he just flattened out.”

Bred in Kentucky, Grooms All Bizness is a 5-year-old son of Fed Biz out of a half-sister to Grade 1 winner In Lingerie. His second dam was a Grade 2 winner, while third dam Phone Chatter captured the 1993 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Grooms All Bizness has won 5 of 13 starts for earnings of $318,775.

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