Wyeth's form, pattern should produce win

Wyeth finished third in his first start this winter at Fair Grounds and was second in his second start at the meet. If his form holds, the pattern will, too, and Wyeth will be first in this third start of the Fair Grounds season, Sunday’s featured third race.

The 4-year-old Wyeth has raced only six times and has shown talent all along. He appears to have found a home in turf sprints, and though he was disqualified from second to fifth when he last raced Jan. 20, Wyeth otherwise gave off strong positive signals in that start. He easily looks like the most likely winner in this second-level allowance, which is also open to $40,000 claimers and carded for 5 1/2 furlongs on grass.

Wyeth, a Candy Ride gelding trained by Tom Amoss for Courtney Barousse, is one of nine entrants in the main body of the field. Four more are entered for the main track only, and one, Aden’s Dream, is the pick to win if the race winds up on dirt.

Chad Brown trained Wyeth for the four starts he made last year after starting his career in April. Wyeth debuted in a turf sprint, showed nothing, and then was stretched out to one mile, winning by a nose at Monmouth in September. His two turf sprints for Amoss at this meet have been better than that form.

On Dec. 26, Wyeth still was 11th at the stretch call and flew home to finish third, beaten less than a length. In his Jan. 20 race, he totally changed his running style, sitting second, just off a solid pace, then taking the lead in the homestretch before being run down by the talented Candy Grand.

A settled, stalking trip might best serve Wyeth, and he has leading rider Florent Geroux to try to work one out from a favorable draw. Wyeth figures to have Small Fortune to catch. Small Fortune, entered for $40,000, won at this class level two back before finishing eighth in a local stakes Dec. 17.

Zipessa gearing up

Zipessa, the Grade 1-placed 5-year-old turf mare, is ready to get serious about preparations for her 2017 campaign.

Zipessa has been in moderate training in Florida and should start doing more when she arrives in the coming days at trainer Mike Stidham’s barn at Fair Grounds, Stidham said.

Zipessa was a sharp winner of the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny at Parx Racing last summer, then finished a game third in the Grade 1 Beverly D. and a close second, beaten a half-length by Avenge, in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive. Zipessa raced on or near the pace in all three of those races but came flying from 13th to cap her 4-year-old season with a strong fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

If all goes well, Zipessa could be ready to race at Keeneland’s meet in April.