Sharp Azteca pointing to Met Mile

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro is about ready to welcome Grade 2 winner Sharp Azteca back to his barn to begin preparations for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile this spring at Belmont Park.

Sharp Azteca is coming off a somewhat disappointing third-place finish in the Godolphin Mile at Meydan, where he was beaten a length by Second Summer after holding the lead until deep stretch. Sharp Azteca has spent the last several weeks at his owner’s farm in Ocala, Fla., since returning to the U.S.

“He went into the race great, we were expecting a big effort, and he just didn’t get the trip we were looking for,” Navarro said of the Godolphin Mile. “But the good news is he came out of the race well and he’s ready to start back. He’ll arrive here sometime this week and ship to Monmouth Park with the rest of the stable in another week or so. The Metropolitan Mile has always been our main goal for the first half of the year, and that’s what we’re still pointing him for at this time.”

Sharp Azteca, owned by Gelfenstein Farm, closed out his 3-year-old campaign by finishing second, beaten a neck by Mind Your Biscuits, in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita. He went to Dubai off an easy 4 1/2-length triumph going a mile in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap.

Navarro, who won 40 races during the Gulfstream Park championship meeting this winter, will be at Charles Town on Saturday to run four horses, including War Story in the rich Charles Town Classic.

“He’s a funny horse,” Navarro said. “He trains like a really good horse, but he’s only won three times. Maybe he’ll like the three turns. It’s a lot of money.”