Iron Mane solid favorite in Tyro Stakes

For the second time in as many days, trainer Wesley Ward will have an odds-on favorite in the featured race at Monmouth Park, as Iron Mane is clearly the one to beat in Sunday’s $60,000 Tyro Stakes, a turf sprint for 2-year-olds.

Ward, who had heavy favorite Red Lodge scheduled to start in Saturday’s Colleen Stakes, clearly has a big shot to sweep the weekend stakes at Monmouth, sending out the prohibitive favorites in both of the meet’s stakes for 2-year-olds. Iron Mane, a son of The Factor, will be heavily backed in the 5 1/2-furlong Tyro based on his lone start, a 6 3/4-length romp on turf at Indiana Grand, where he rated very well just off the pace before making his bid off the turn. That effort resulted in a 74 Beyer Speed Figure, an excellent figure for a 2-year-old colt making his debut on turf, and if he is able to run back to that race in his second start, he’ll be awfully tough to beat.

David Flores, who rode Iron Mane in his debut, will be back aboard Sunday in what will be the veteran jockey’s first appearance of the Monmouth meet.

Follow the Rainbow is one of the main threats to the favorite. He is proven on grass, coming off a maiden score over the turf course at Parx. His established grass form gives him credibility, but so does his trainer, as Jason Servis wins turf sprints at a very high rate (31 percent). Follow the Rainbow will need to improve off the 53 Beyer he earned in that maiden victory if he’s to win the Tyro, but that’s certainly a possibility as he makes only his third start.

Jockey Antonio Gallardo has the call on Follow the Rainbow, who breaks from post 4 in the field of seven.

Bay Numbers is another from a barn that excels with turf sprinters, and that makes him appealing as a possible alternative to the favorite. He was off the board in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga in his latest, but he earned a respectable figure against a solid field, and he does have a license to improve in his first start over grass. Paco Lopez, the leading rider at Monmouth, rode Bay Numbers in each of his first three starts and will be aboard again Sunday.

Tyro, Race 9

KEY CONTENDERS

Iron Mane, by The Factor

Beyer: 74

◗ Sharp score in his lone start, an easy win that resulted in a solid Beyer. Proven on turf and showed in that debut race that he can rate off the pace effectively.

Follow the Rainbow, by Henny Hughes

Last 2 Beyers: 53-55

◗ One of only three runners in the race with grass experience, and he passed that test with relative ease in his latest, winning his maiden as a heavy favorite. The jockey/trainer combination of Gallardo and Servis is lethal at Monmouth, with five wins from their last 10 runners.