Witty keeps it all in the family for Pennsylvania Nursery

It’s a family affair at Parx on Tuesday when Witty faces nine 2-year-olds in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Nursery for statebreds at seven furlongs.

A homebred owned by Elizabeth Merryman, Witty will be saddled by her son McLane Hendriks, an experienced rider on the National Steeplechase Association circuit and an accomplished horseman in his own right.

“I haven’t been very well, so he’s been doing a lot,” said Merryman, who trained Witty for his two starts. “I sit back and offer my advice, but he does all the hard work. He’s hands-on and deserves to have this horse and some other nice ones in his name.”

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According to Merryman, Witty “has been special since the day he was born.”

“He had a presence that is rare for local homebreds,” she said. “He was always very big, great disposition, just a confident, good-moving horse.”

Witty finished second at Laurel Park in his debut on Sept. 24, a race that pleased Merryman greatly.

“He was green, and I don’t tune them up for their first start,” she said. “He weaved through the pack, was fearless and ran like a 4-year-old.”

Witty then shipped to Parx on Oct. 25 and graduated by 4 3/4 lengths with a 75 Beyer. A half-brother to Grade 3 winner Caravel, Witty is out of the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, a horse that Merryman received for free sight unseen.

“It’s like hitting the lottery,” Merryman said.

Among Witty’s opponents is Disco Ebo, who won her last three starts by a combined 26 3/4 lengths. Trained by Butch Reid, Disco Ebo captured the Shamrock Rose at Penn National on Nov. 26.

“It’s coming back on awful short notice, but she came out of the race well,” Reid said Friday morning. “We haven’t made a final decision, but more than likely we’re going to take a shot.”

Disco Ebo has been unstoppable since being beaten in her first two appearances.

“She was a little tentative those first two starts and caught a really sloppy track in her first one,” Reid said.

Allevare, a 10 3/4-length maiden winner on Nov. 23, would also return on short rest.

“I talked to the owner about wheeling him back and I wasn’t going to do that unless he showed me otherwise,” trainer John Servis said. “I told him we could enter and play it by ear.”

Servis believes that more patient tactics aided the colt after he lost his first two starts.

“He’d shown talent,” Servis said. “Last race, I made the decision to settle off the pace and let him get comfortable.”

Uncle Buddy hasn’t been headed in two starts, both over sloppy tracks at Penn National. He’ll be joined in the gate by Grade 3-placed Dance Code; stakes-placed Dr. Steve, who has been working bullets at Penn National; Wispering Springs; stakes-placed Center Mid Maddie; stakes winner Champion By Design; and Vine Jet.