Sheikh of Sheikhs takes class drop in Juvenile Dirt Sprint
If a little luck had gone Sheikh of Sheikhs’s way, trainer Wesley Ward would be getting his wish to try the colt on turf for the first time in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. But with the field oversubscribed, the also-eligible colt is instead more likely to run on Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup program at Keeneland in the Juvenile Dirt Sprint, one of three $100,000 stakes races making up the undercard.
Sheikh of Sheikhs won his career debut going six furlongs at Saratoga but then finished sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland when stretched out to two turns. He now cuts back to six furlongs, a distance that might be more ideal for the son of Grade 1-winning sprinter Discreetly Mine.
“Everything went great,” Ward said after the colt breezed on turf in company with stablemate Ruby Notion – entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – earlier this week.
Ward also will saddle the filly Banree, second in the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes this summer in a busy campaign. She was an emphatic winner of a Keeneland allowance last out.
Frankie Dettori, in to ride in the Breeders’ Cup, will be aboard Sheikh of Sheikhs, who is ideally drawn in post 4. Stablemate Banree landed post 6 under Rafael Hernandez.
Trainer Larry Rivelli, who will saddle Breeders’ Cup Juvenile contender Cocked and Loaded later in the day, will hope to get his Saturday off to a good start with his 2-year-olds, as the Illinois-bred Richie the Bull goes in the Juvenile Dirt Sprint. The colt has won both of his starts, including a two-length score in a Keeneland allowance Oct. 8.
Bayerd in Perryville Stakes
Bayerd, a familiar name this season, headlines the Perryville for 3-year-old sprinters as he tries to get back to his winning ways. The colt was a multiple stakes winner at Remington Park last year for trainer Steve Asmussen but is winless this year while knocking heads with solid competition. Most recently, he finished third in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx, beaten a neck and a half-length by Trouble Kid and Limousine Liberal. The latter is a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Lord Commander has won two of his three starts for Todd Pletcher, returning from a seven-month layoff to win a Keeneland allowance Oct. 8.
The morning-line favorite is the Illinois-bred Lewys Vaporizer, who is making his first start against stakes company for Rivelli after back-to-back allowance scores at Arlington and Parx.
Majestic Affair won stakes at Laurel and Aqueduct over the winter but was last seen finishing in a dead heat for fifth in the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes in April for trainer Chad Brown.
Filly sprinters line up in Fort Springs
The Perryville’s sister event, the Fort Springs for 3-year-old filly sprinters, drew several who are exiting graded stakes competition – most notably Fusaichi Red and Sweet Swingin. Fusaichi Red was third in the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga, won by Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint contender Cavorting. Sweet Swingin was third in the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes, won by another Filly and Mare Sprint contender, Super Majesty.
Coco’s Wildcat, third in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes this year, is coming off a solid allowance win at Keeneland. Sweet Success was second in this year’s Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks, run on synthetic.
Dr. Fager’s Gal is shipping in off a victory in her stakes debut last month at Los Alamitos.
Cristina’s Journey is the lone graded stakes winner in the field but has not won since taking the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes in September 2014.