Skyler's Scramjet stepping up in deep Tom Fool renewal

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Michelle Nevin has the luxury of leaving her top male sprinter in the barn and still having a chance to win Saturday’s Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct.

Nevin opted not to rush back her New York-bred sprinter My Boy Tate – a winner of five straight races – and instead will go with Skyler’s Scramjet in a highly contentious 10-horse field entered to run six furlongs in the Tom Fool.

Skyler’s Scramjet has won his last two starts, including a second-level allowance over a fast track on Dec. 22 in which he earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. He came back on Feb. 10 and won a third-level allowance/optional $80,000 claiming race over a muddy track that he didn’t seem to handle as well.

Though Dylan Davis was aboard for his last two victories, Trevor McCarthy rides Skyler’s Scramjet on Saturday. Davis will be aboard Great Stuff, on whom he won the Grade 3 Toboggan on Jan. 27. Davis was also aboard Great Stuff in the Gravesend on Dec. 23, when he finished fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length by Do Share, the potential favorite in the Tom Fool.

David Jacobson, trainer and part-owner of Great Stuff, said Davis probably should have moved “a little bit sooner” in the Gravesend but believes his experience on the horse should pay off.

“Dylan really knows him well and he’s really focused and on top his game,” Jacobson said.

Do Share, trained by Linda Rice, hasn’t run since winning the Gravesend on Dec. 23, but the 11-week layoff is not by design. Quarantine situations twice forced Do Share to miss graded stakes, but he worked a bullet five furlongs on March 1 leading to this.

Threefiveindia and Life in Shambles are a combined 0 for 17 in stakes races, but each has run well enough to win one. Life in Shambles was second by a neck over Threefiveindia in the Gravesend.

Spartiatis won last year’s Tom Fool when trained by Leon Blusiewiecz. Now in the barn of Rudy Rodriguez, Spartiatis ran a solid second in a Feb. 15 allowance race, his first start in six months.

KEY CONTENDERS

Do Share, by Candy Ride
Last 3 Beyers: 96-96-89

◗ Went 7 for 10 in 2017, including a victory in the Gravesend on Dec. 23.

◗ Has been versatile enough to win from on, just off, or from way off the pace.

Skyler’s Scramjet, by Creative Cause
Last 3 Beyers: 92-101-82

◗ Has won 3 of his last 4 with the lone loss coming when he got used up in a speed duel.

◗ Earlier this year, Nevin said that the horse showed “tons and tons of talent in the morning but getting him to relax and behave himself in the afternoon hasn’t been easy.”

Great Stuff, by Quality Road
Last 3 Beyers: 102-90-94

◗ Overcame a troubled start to rally from well off the pace in winning the Grade 3 Toboggan.

◗ Lone reservation is whether he can be as effective at six furlongs as he’s been at seven.