Ward has high expectations for first-time starter in Tyro Stakes
The filly Chi Town Lady was scratched last week from the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park and her trainer, Wesley Ward, won the race anyway with Miss Alacrity. Ward entered Chi Town Lady back against males in Saturday’s $75,000 Tyro Stakes, another 2-year-old turf sprint race, but Ward thinks he can win the Tyro with a different filly.
Ward said Chi Town Lady will stay home at Saratoga and race Aug. 20 in the Skidmore Stakes, while Her World runs in the Tyro. Her World isn’t just a filly facing males, she’s an unraced maiden debuting in stakes competition, but there’s surely good reason Ward is willing to try this spot. “She’s breathing fire right now,” he said.
And it’s not just recent works that have created excitement around this filly, a daughter of Caravaggio and the Unbridled’s Song mare Mundus Novus.
“She’s the best 2-year-old I’ve had all year long. Just a couple minor shins have held her back,” Ward said. “She’s got extreme speed, but quality speed.”
Ten were entered in the five-furlong Tyro, with Paco Lopez, named on Chi Town Lady, moving over to Her World. Ward the last five years has entered only two unraced 2-year-olds in stakes: Spicy Marg finished second in the 2020 Tyro, which was rained off turf, and Four Wheel Drive in August 2019 won the $100,000 Rosie’s Stakes at Colonial Downs, going on to capture the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint that fall.
Ward’s assessment of these young horses typically is accurate, but Her World is almost certainly going to be an underlay in the Tyro, and other horses here can run.
Roman Poet has raced only once, winning a Gulfstream turf-sprint maiden race May 21 with enough verve that Reeves Thoroughbred Racing bought into the Carpe Diem gelding, who was transferred to trainer Kathy Ritvo. Roman Poet, closing on the outside, turned in a final furlong officially recorded in 11.17 seconds – lightning-fast – winning by more than two lengths in his lone start.
A Dangerous Guy won a Delaware Park maiden race by more than six lengths before finishing a close third in a first-level allowance there. Racing with blinkers added Saturday, he tries turf for the first time and is by Violence, who can get a solid grass-sprinter.
Forty Stripes was a debut winner in the Monmouth mud on July 18 and is by Munnings, another good turf-sprint sire.