Ward, Clement have top players in Futurity and Matron
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Wesley Ward already has the likely favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in Golden Pal. As he learned last year, when he won the race with Four Wheel Drive, there is strength in numbers.
“The Breeders’ Cup, anything can happen,” said Ward, who ran three in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. “Last year, I won with Four Wheel Drive and Kimari [who finished fourth] was probably the best horse in the race. You want to get as many as you can in there.”
Ward will look to add to his Breeders’ Cup lineup Sunday at Belmont Park when he sends out the trio of Trade Deal, After Five, and Gypsy King in the Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity and the filly Royal Approval in the Grade 3, $100,000 Matron.
Both races are run at six furlongs on the turf. The winner of the Futurity gets a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint as part of the Win and You’re In program.
Last year, Four Wheel Drive pulled off the Futurity-Breeders’ Cup double. Of the trio he has entered Sunday, Ward believes After Five is the best one.
After Five, a son of The Factor, was beaten a nose on debut by Trade Deal at Kentucky Downs. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., After Five made an early move and was wide and fell a nose short to Trade Deal.
Ward felt Ortiz’s inexperience at Kentucky Downs may have resulted in the premature move.
“He was a little green when riding at Kentucky Downs, he got a handle on it and next year he’s going to be much, much better,” Ward said. “He thinks a lot of that colt, he had the pick of the three and that’s the one he chose.”
Ward said he had hoped to get After Five started at Saratoga, but the horse’s races got rained off the turf.
Trade Deal, a son of Fed Biz, was beaten three-quarters of a length in his debut. He was taken back off a speed duel, and his late rally fell short at Indiana Grand.
“If you watch the race – and you should – he should have won it,” Ward said.
Trade Deal is cross-entered in Monday’s Born to Run Stakes at Monmouth Park, but will run at Belmont, Ward said.
Gypsy King is Ward’s third entrant in the Futurity. He is making his fifth start, first as a gelding, and will have blinkers removed for this race.
Ward said Gypsy King was a big horse and would likely continue to get bigger. He said gelding the horse will help him stay sound.
While Ward will run all three of his entrants in the Futurity, others could come out. Sky’s Not Falling is cross-entered in Monday’s Fitz Dixon Memorial at Presque Isle Downs. Newbomb was entered in a dirt maiden race Saturday at Belmont, and trainer Todd Pletcher indicated, as of Friday afternoon, that is the preferred spot. There also are two horses entered for the main track.
Momos, who won a dirt maiden race at Saratoga and was third behind Jackie’s Warrior in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, would be making his turf debut in the Futurity.
“He’s quick,” Clement said. “The idea is, can the firm turf carry that speed? If the firm turf carries that speed then great, if it doesn’t then it was a mistake and go back on the dirt.”
County Final won his debut on turf at Churchill Downs. He most recently was fourth in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, but trainer Steve Asmussen blames the soft ground for that performance.
Second of July and Bright Devil complete the field on turf.
Royal Approval tops Matron
Ward said of the four horses he runs Sunday, the one he thinks could emerge as a major player in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint is the filly Royal Approval.
A daughter of Tiznow, Royal Approval was beaten in her debut at Gulfstream Park in May and finished 17th in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on good ground in June. She is coming off a 6 1/4-length maiden victory Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs.
“I’ve been waiting for her to do that,” Ward said. “She’s been working like a time bomb at Saratoga with Robbie Davis aboard. She got rained off the turf in Saratoga and couldn’t get in a maiden race, so we finally we got her to Kentucky Downs and numbers-wise that was a phenomenal run.”
Ward said he is running Royal Approval in the Matron because he wants her to have something more on her résumé to get into the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Clement sends out the Irish-bred Magisterium, a two-time winner in Europe, for her U.S. debut.
“She just came, she’s had two easy works, the first one was slow by design the second was a bit better, with Momos. I’m still learning,” Clement said.
Amalfi Princess, third in her debut, is the only other runner in this field to have raced on turf. Rossa Veloce, Fabricate, Union Gables, Bravo Regina, and Niente, who was entered in Saturday’s Frizette, would all be trying turf for the first time.