Sharp Aza Tack favored to make it three straight in Juvenile Sprint

FRANKLIN, Ky. – After a weekend of weather interruptions, Kentucky Downs officials are hoping for smooth sailing for the balance of a 2022 meet that resumes Thursday with the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint anchoring a 10-race card.

Doug O’Neill also is hoping for a smooth effort from Sharp Aza Tack as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the Juvenile Sprint. The dark bay colt from the first crop of Sharp Azteca has been like thunder and lightning in winning his first two starts, both on turf.

“He’s always been a pretty precocious colt,” O’Neill said. “It’s safe to say he’s exceeded our expectations. He’s been a really super addition to the stable, and we’re optimistic that we can keep it going.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., making his first appearance of the meet Thursday, has the call on Sharp Aza Tack, who followed a June 10 debut win at Santa Anita with a 7 1/4-length romp in the Tyro Stakes on July 30 at Monmouth Park. The Tyro victory equated to an 85 Beyer Speed Figure, highest in the Juvenile Sprint field.

Seven other 2-year-olds, including one filly and one gelding, will line up against Sharp Aza Tack, who will break from post 2 in the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint. Owned by the R3 Racing of Ron Arakelian, the favorite should take plenty of catching after leading throughout in both prior starts.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong so far, so we’re excited,” said O’Neill, whose frequent forays from his Southern California base include a pair of Kentucky Derby wins with I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016).

Ortiz, the leading rider at the Saratoga meet that ended Monday, has made more frequent trips to Kentucky Downs as purses have gotten larger. The three-time Eclipse Award winner (2018-19-20) won three stakes here in 2020, including the Juvenile Sprint on Outadore for Wesley Ward, before being blanked with his nine stakes mounts at the 2021 meet.

Ward is the trainer of perhaps the top challenger to Sharp Aza Tack in Half a Chance (post 8, John Velazquez), a filly facing male rivals for the first time.

“You know me – I’m never afraid to try a filly against the boys,” Ward said. “They just tend to be a little more advanced in the early stages of their careers. She seems to be one of those fillies.”

Half a Chance, owned by the CJ Thoroughbreds of former Kentucky Downs owner Corey Johnsen, exits a pair of maiden races against her own kind in New York. She was second on debut at Belmont Park in early June before winning on the main track on opening day at Saratoga with a 79 Beyer.

Other contenders include Private Creed (post 5, Joel Rosario), adding blinkers after finishing third in the Aug. 19 Skidmore on the Saratoga turf for Steve Asmussen; Bourbon Spirit (post 3, Florent Geroux), making his grass debut for Brad Cox following a pair of decent efforts on dirt; and Fadethenoise (post 4, Tyler Gaffalione), whose trainer, Mike Maker, won six of the first 17 races to start the meet in sizzling fashion.

Rounding out the cast are Bourbon Therapy, Accident, and the lone gelding, Revere Note.

Half the purse for the Juvenile Sprint is comprised of bonus money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, with all eight starters being eligible.

First post Thursday is 12:25 p.m. Central, with the Juvenile Sprint going at 4:57 p.m.

A pair of novelty races for 2-year-olds are among the Thursday undercard, both of them $250,000 allowances restricted to horses who were purchased (or did not attain their reserve prices) at the Keeneland yearling sales last September. Both races will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs on the undulating turf-only course.

In race 4 (2:05), open to any 2-year-olds, Mo Stash and Angel of Empire are lukewarm program choices in a very well-matched field of 10. Both colts are one-time winners, as are five of their opponents. The other three starters are maidens, including a first-time starter, Ocean Pointe, trained by Brendan Walsh.

Grand Oak looks like a deserving favorite in the filly division, which will follow a little more than an hour later as race 6 (3:13). Based at Fair Hill in northern Maryland with trainer Graham Motion, the speedy daughter of Speightstown will be ridden by Mickaelle Michel when exiting a pair of stakes. She’ll have Promise of Hope, Move It Baby, Happy Gal, and a Ward maiden, Scarpia, among her nine rivals.

The Thursday forecast calls for sunshine and temperatures in the low 80s, a stark and welcome contrast to the deluge that halted action after seven races were run here Saturday. An 11-race Sunday card was postponed to Monday because of lingering wet conditions.