Witty will likely join graded stakes company after Jim McKay Turf Sprint victory
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Witty, winner of the $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint on Saturday, could soon be back on the hunt for his first graded stakes victory. Still uncertain about his next start, trainer Elizabeth Merryman is considering several races after the 6-year-old gelding’s late-charging 3 1/4-length victory at Pimlico Race Course.
“We’re knowing him better and better, and I think firm turf is something he does not really care for,” Merryman said. “Soft turf, he loves. It's nice to have a horse like that. When you get a wet, soggy course, a lot of American turf horses don't like it. So it's nice to have one who does.”
With a day to reflect on Witty’s victory, in which he ceded more than 10 lengths early in a five-furlong turf sprint, Merryman said that she believes he can win anywhere if the surface is right beneath him.
Last year, Witty began his 2024 campaign in the King T. Leatherbury at Laurel Park, ran in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico, and then shipped up to Woodbine for the Grade 2 Highlander, where he finished second. Merryman isn’t opposed to taking the same path again in 2025, even if the race on June 28 falls slightly outside the gelding’s preferred four-week return window.
Merryman is also considering the $100,000 Get Serious at Monmouth Park on June 15 and the state-restricted Ben’s Cat on June 21. The Pennsylvania-bred, Maryland-certified runner won the latter race in September 2023 when it was still run at Pimlico.
The trainer will confer with Fergus Galvin, racing manager for Marc Detampel and Qatar Racing, and monitor the gelding’s progress in training before making a final decision for next month. There will be several moving pieces in this process, as Merryman and the owners plan to sell Witty’s half-brother, a “lovely” yearling colt by Justify, at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale this summer.
The dam, Merryman’s broodmare Zeezee Zoomzoom, also produced Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel, but her latest yearling’s price could rise even higher if Witty maintains his winning form in graded stakes company.
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