Late-blooming Disco Pharoah on upward trajectory entering Maryland Sprint

With chronic foot issues seemingly behind him, Disco Pharoah has found his rhythm to become a talented sprinter. Saturday, he’ll look to continue his ascension up the charts when he makes his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3, $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes at Pimlico.

Disco Pharoah, a 4-year-old gelding by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, was plagued by quarter cracks in his younger days. This year, Disco Pharoah is 2 for 2 with a 19 1/2-length maiden win at Aqueduct on March 5 and a 3 1/4-length victory in the Frank Whiteley at Laurel Park on April 16.

“The feet are good. That’s the key to him and I think he’ll just keep on making that natural progression,” said Ray Handal, who trains Disco Pharoah for Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and Blue Lion Thoroughbreds. “He’s getting better every start, and the feet are getting healthier every start.”

In his two wins this year, Disco Pharoah has benefited from being drawn on or near the outside. Saturday he’s in post 4 under Jevian Toledo in a seven-horse field.

Handal believes his horse is fast, but the true speed in the field appears to be outside of him with Mr Phil in post 6 and Jaxon Traveler in post 7.

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“He’s going to have to work out a little bit of a trip this time,” said Handal, who is seeking his first graded stakes win after going 0 for 20 in such races. “Breaking from the outside last time we let the speed run away and got him comfortable. You don’t want to be too far out of it at Pimlico. That track is notorious for having a pretty strong speed bias. We’re going to send away from there anyway.”

Mr Phil and Jaxon Traveler ran one-two around the track in a third-level/optional $80,000 allowance at Aqueduct on April 21. Jaxon Traveler is 2 for 3 at Pimlico and looks to give trainer Steve Asmussen his third victory in this race.

Sir Alfred James makes his 10th start of the year. He was sixth behind Disco Pharoah in the Whiteley, then a week later tried turf and finished fifth before running fourth behind Jackie’s Warrior in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs two weeks ago.

Trainer Lynn Cash said he was pleased with Sir Alfred James’ performance in the Churchill Downs because he broke better than he had since an incident at Fair Grounds earlier in the year.

“I’m hoping to catch the rail and the lead, and if he gets the rail and the lead I’m pretty confident he’ll close it out from there,” Cash said.

Sir Alfred James has post 2 and will likely have to outfoot War Tocsin to his inside to get the rail.

Full Authority has won two straight at Oaklawn Park, and trainer Greg Compton would like to see an off-the-pace trip similar to the one he got two starts back. Jon Court rides Full Authority for the third straight race.

“He’s got enough tactical speed where he can get up in there if he needs to be, but I don’t think he likes doing that,” Compton said. “The first time I put Jon Court on him he drew toward the outside and he was able to break, and he kept him a little bit away from horses and do his own thing. I’m hoping we can do the same thing.”

Threes Over Deuces, seventh in this race last year, comes off a third to Disco Pharoah in the Whiteley.