Team Ward looks tough in Tyro Stakes
Foolish Humor and Karak were born in the United States but have traveled to compete in Europe, while Slap Happy was foaled in Ireland but has started only in the United States All three fillies are trained by Wesley Ward, and all three are expected to converge Saturday at Monmouth in the $75,000 Tyro Stakes for 2-year-olds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.
Foolish Humor, a daughter of Distorted Humor, won by 2 3/4 lengths going five furlongs on the Belmont turf in her debut May 2. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 71, a solid number for a 2-year-old early in the season. Karak, who is from the first crop of Karakontie, went wire to wire on May 25 at Belmont in her debut, posting a 72 Beyer.
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Both fillies became part of Ward’s contingent at the Royal Ascot meeting in June in England, with Karak finishing 15th and Foolish Humor 20th in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
Meanwhile, Slap Happy, an Irish-bred daughter of Kodiac, debuted May 11 at Indiana Grand, wiring the field in a five-furlong turf sprint while earning a Beyer of 57. She has been working steadily at Ward’s Keeneland base since then.
Foolish Humor will be reunited in the Tyro with Joe Bravo, who rode her in her winning debut. Karak and Slap Happy pick up two other prominent members of the Monmouth Park jockey colony in Nik Juarez and Paco Lopez, respectively.
Ward also has Dixie Mo as a main-track-only entrant in the Tyro. The filly was a debut winner in an off-the-turf sprint at Indiana, then finished sixth in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont. Lopez is named to ride should the filly draw in.
All four of the Ward fillies also were entered in the filly counterpart to the Tyro, the $75,000 Colleen, which is carded for Sunday at Monmouth. Ward said Friday that he planned to run Karak and Slap Happy against the boys on Saturday and would start Foolish Humor in the Colleen.
Shield of Faith won a maiden race last time out on Monmouth’s main track and will be making his turf debut in the Tyro. So will Gravel Road, a maiden winner at Parx Racing, and Ryan’s Cat, a maiden winner at Belterra.
Now Is is still a maiden after three starts. He finished third in Karak’s maiden victory and fifth in a maiden special weight sprint at Belmont in his two turf races.
The Tyro Stakes could produce entrants for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November at Santa Anita.
- additional reporting by Jim Dunleavy