Tracksmith gets first stakes win in Frisk Me Now

Tracksmith remained perfect on the year while picking up his first career stakes victory in the $75,000 Frisk Me Now Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday afternoon on the Monmouth Park turf.

Tracksmith ($4), a Street Sense colt who is trained by Joe Sharp for Calumet Farm, showed promise last summer, winning his debut at Ellis Park before finishing second by a head in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Stakes. The winner of the latter, Henley's Joy, won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby earlier this month. Tracksmith then finished sixth in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes, and sixth again when trying the dirt in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in his juvenile finale.

Tracksmith returned to the races off a seven-month break in a Churchill Downs turf allowance, winning by a head and setting himself up for his return to stakes competition.

:: Get PPs, Clocker Reports, picks, and more from DRF's Saratoga/Del Mar One-Stop Shop

“It’s fun watching him develop,” Sharp said. We gave him the time off [after his 2-year-old campaign], but you never know if they’re going to come back better or a little less. He really has come back twice the horse. This was a good spot for him, too. We’re probably going to point to the Virginia Derby next.”

War Treaty, who was making his stakes debut after an allowance win at Monmouth Park, showed the way early in the Frisk Me Now, ticking off early splits of 23.75 seconds for the quarter and 47.69 for the half, and taking a lead of about a length into the lane. But Tracksmith, who had bided his time last in the field of five early under Adam Beschizza, unleashed a strong rally down the center of the course to collar the leader in midstretch. War Treaty battled back gamely along the inside, but Tracksmith got his measure inside the final furlong and edged away to win by a hal- length. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Credit Swap, who finished third to round out the trifecta.

The final time for the mile on a turf course rated firm was 1:35.20.