Ward looking for breakout race from Overbore in Tremont

Overbore, a beaten favorite in both his starts, attempts to rebound in Friday’s $150,000 Tremont Stakes for 2-year-olds traveling 5 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Park.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Overbore was even-money for his debut on April 18 at Keeneland. After all, Ward dominates the 2-year-old baby races during the Keeneland spring stand and Joel Rosario was named to ride.

They then sprang the latch, however, and the odds-on favorite was immediately in trouble.

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“I was really excited for that colt to run,” Ward said Wednesday morning. “We had big expectations, and he broke a little slow, and his second step, he tried to get going and he stumbled. I discounted him after that break, and he just sat back there dead last, eased out, and he was flying and nearly won. I was really impressed.”

Overbore’s owner, Peter Leidel, campaigned Lady Aurelia with Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Farms. Ward trained Lady Aurelia to win at Royal Ascot in 2016 and was hoping that Overbore, a Speightstown colt, would take him back to England this year. He entered Overbore in a maiden special weight on turf on May 21 at Churchill Downs.

“The intent from the onset of the initial purchase of the horse was to get Peter back to Royal Ascot with a 2-year-old, so I put him on grass at Churchill,” Ward said. “He broke perfect, and Tyler Gaffalione had him right there ready to pounce. He just didn’t sustain his run like he did in the first go. Even though he was beaten a nose, I was a little disappointed. I don’t think, for whatever reason at this stage, grass is for him. I think that race was essentially a throwout based on what I saw in his first race and his morning workouts.”

Ward runs Overbore back in two weeks on Friday.

“I very rarely wheel back on short rest, but that last race was essentially like a work,” Ward said Wednesday. “He didn’t really give a grueling 100 percent effort. The next day, he was just bouncing. Yesterday morning at Keeneland, he galloped around there like a million dollars.”

Little Drama is the likely favorite in the Tremont after earning the second-highest Beyer Speed Figure for a 2-year-old in 2021 in his debut on May 16. Little Drama won the five-furlong maiden race at Belmont by five lengths and earned a Beyer Figure of 86, but he faced only two rivals. A $175,000 2-year-old purchase by Dramedy, Little Drama is trained by Steve Asmussen.

Trust Our Journey, a son of American Pharoah, ships up from Gulfstream for trainer Carlos David after a 1 1/4-length debut victory going 4 1/2 furlongs on May 1. He looms a strong pace factor under Paco Lopez.

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Completing the field are Baytown Frosty, who defeated Overbore in that Keeneland maiden before finishing sixth in the Kentucky Juvenile, and maiden winners Kavod and Rising Outlaw, both trained by James Chapman.