Schoolyardsuperman will be tested in Listed $200K Withers

Hit The Bid Racing Stable’s Schoolyardsuperman impressed to break his maiden last out and will make his stakes debut in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Withers, a nine-furlong route for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Withers, a prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will award the top-five finishers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test in May at Churchill Downs.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Schoolyardsuperman will not only be tested stepping up in class off his 5 3/4-length victory in a one-turn mile maiden on December 6 here, but also traveling two turns for the first time. The Practical Joke gray’s two prior starts were sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs here, clipping heels and falling midway through his September debut ahead of a second to Epic Summer in October. 

In his win, Schoolyardsuperman [post 1, Manny Franco] pressed the pace under returning rider Manny Franco before lengthening his margin at every point of call en route to an easy score in a final time of 1:36.68, registering a career and field-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Schoolyardsuperman, a $150,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm. The Lexington-based farm bred Reincarnate [13th], a participant in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and hopes to add another Classic contender to its resume in Schoolyardsuperman. 

“He was a very good looking horse from the start,” said Peter O’Callaghan, owner of Woods Edge Farm, regarding Schoolyardsuperman. “A big, strapping gray horse. Correct horse. He moved well. He was imposing. A very, very good-looking horse. He looks like a good prospect. Whether he can win the Withers or not, I don’t know, but he looks like a horse with some decent standard.”

Schoolyardsuperman is out of the winning Tiznow mare Tizlegal, who Woods Edge Farm purchased for $25,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Tizlegal is a half-sister to reigning Grade 2 Carter-winner Crazy Mason, out of the graded stakes-placed Maria’s Mon mare Izshelegal. 

“Tizlegal is very Maria’s Mon, a real quality gray mare. She is more Maria’s Mon than Tiznow. That is a nice family, a young active family, with some decent back family,” O’Callaghan said. “Crazy Mason has come up in the meantime, but I just knew that family was current, always stuff going on and we got lucky there.”

O’Callaghan spoke on the pairing between Practical Joke and Tizlegal, who has emerged as a classy broodmare having also produced the stakes-placed 4-year-old Kantharos filly Velvet Devil.

“The main factors were physical, speed and price,” O’Callaghan said. “I thought this was a very good physical mating. Practical Joke is a very good-looking horse. He is a big, strong horse with a decent hip on him. She [Tizlegal] is about 16.2 hands, very refined quality, Maria’s Mon type. He is a very solid, proven sire. He has made a significant jump in the last few years.”

Brown will also send out Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Ottinho [post 6, Flavien Prat], a second-out local maiden winner by Quality Road that has been followed intently as a half-brother to Hall of Famer Gun Runner.

Ottinho, over course and distance last out on December 31, led through three quarters in 1:14.87 under returning rider Flavien Prat after breaking from the rail. The bay was met with a challenge from stablemate Hadrian’s Wall, who stuck his head in front at the eighth-pole, but Ottinho battled back to the inside and prevailed by a head in a final time of 1:54.07. 

Ottinho was previously a rallying third to next-out stakes-placed Enforced Agenda in his one-turn mile debut in November here after hitting the gate at the start and traveling 7th-of-8 through the half-mile. His Beyers jumped from 71 to 82 over the course of his two starts and he certainly has the pedigree as a half-brother to Gun Runner and a full-brother to 2024 Grade 3 Comely-winner Pretty Ana, out of the Grade 2-winning Giant’s Causeway mare Quiet Giant. 

Brown seeks his third Withers victory to go along with Risk Taking [2021] and future Preakness-winner Early Voting [2022]. 

Cash is King and LC Racing’s Pennsylvania homebred Mailata [post 5, Mychel Sanchez] caught eyes when dominating the seven-furlong Parx Future Stars by 19 lengths on December 30 at its namesake oval. Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the Maximus Mischief bay took on just two rivals and was a close third through the opening quarter-mile, but took over from there and romped under returning rider Mychel Sanchez. 

“He didn't come away real clean, but I liked the way he rated behind horses. When the jock asked him, he moved forward handily, so he was real on top of things that day,” said Reid, Jr., who has won the Withers with Afleet Again [2010] and Uncle Heavy [2024]. 

Mailata’s final time of 1:27.20 earned a 73 Beyer, lower than the 80 he received previously for a 3 1/2-length pacesetting score in the seven-furlong Pennsylvania Nursery versus fellow state-breds on November 26 at Parx Racing. He was under wraps in his recent effort and improved to 3-for-3 since adding blinkers for a third-out graduation going a two-turn mile in October at Parx.

"It really seems to have sharpened up his focus and he’s really paying attention to what he's doing on the track,” Reid, Jr. said of the blinkers. 

Mailata has made all five career starts at Parx, finishing third in his August debut sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs ahead of a fourth going 6 1/2 furlongs one month later. He is a half-brother to stakes-winner Jeanne Marie out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Bouquet of Gold and his second dam is Grade 3-winner Bouquet Booth. 

Stony Pointe Stables’ Fourth and One [post 2, Jaime Rodriguez] was dual stakes-placed before his last-out fourth start graduation with blinkers off in a one-turn mile maiden versus fellow New York-breds on December 5 here. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the Maxfield gelding was second on debut in the six-furlong Funny Cide in August at Saratoga Race Course, ahead of a maiden second at the same distance at Belmont at the Big A and a third in the one-mile state-bred Sleepy Hollow here. 

“He’s had some ability since he came in last summer,” Englehart said. “He’s a horse that has had to mature a little bit and grow up as far as training and race scenarios go. I think taking the blinkers off has helped him. I like where he is at and I’m excited to see what he can do this weekend.” 

Fourth and One, bred in the Empire State by Chesapeake Farm, Rockridge Stud, Tamie Semler and John McConnell, was purchased for $240,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale. He is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Wajeeha, a half-sister to multiple group-placed Zainhom. 

“I thought he probably would want to stretch out,” said Englehart. “He has made the transition from six furlongs to further in his starts. I’m not overly concerned about this distance, but obviously he hasn’t gone a mile and an eighth yet. I thought this was the right opportunity for him.”

Bran Jam Stable and David Clark’s Star Sweeper [post 8, Angel Rodriguez] is cross-entered in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid on Saturday at Parx. Trained by Louis Linder, Jr., the Rock Your World gray stalked to a 2 1/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer last out on December 24 at Parx. 

Star Sweeper graduated on debut in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on September 20 at Parx ahead of off-the-board stakes tries when fifth in the two turn-mile Rocky Run in October at Delaware Park and eighth in the six-furlong James F. Lewis, III in November at Laurel Park. 

Rounding out the field are a pair of maiden winners including the Florida-based Project Ace [post 3, Corey Lanerie], cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park for Eclipse Award-winner Dale Romans and the New York-bred Talk to Me Jimmy [post 4, Ruben Silvera] for conditioner Rudy Rodriguez; as well as the maiden Grittiness [post 7, Ricardo Santana, Jr., blinkers OFF] for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher - a three-time Withers winner with Harlem Rocker [2008], Revolutionary [2013] and Far From Over [2015].

The Withers is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which also includes the Listed $150,000 Toboggan [Race 2], the $135,000 Ruthless [Race 4] and the re-scheduled $135,000 Ladies [Race 6]. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

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