Titan Ready tries stakes again in $175K Awad
The dual stakes-placed Titan Ready carries positive momentum off a four-length graduation into Saturday’s $175,000 Awad, a six-furlong Widener turf sprint for juveniles, at Belmont Park.
Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the dark bay son of Title Ready earned his first win in his fourth attempt on September 19 here in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight. He made his first two starts with close seconds for conditioner Sid Attard at Woodbine Racetrack, including the Listed Victoria in July when a head back of Uncle Dodo.
Titan Ready moved to the Cox barn this summer to land a 2 3/4-length second to Wood Island in Saratoga Race Course’s 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore on August 27 ahead of his win.
Cox said he had initially pointed Titan Ready [post 5, Manny Franco] to the one-mile Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on October 30 at Keeneland, but rerouted here after not making the cut for the overflow field.
“We brought him to Keeneland with the intention of running him in the Thoroughbred Aftercare and we found ourselves not even making the overnight,” Cox said. “I thought he was impressive when he broke his maiden up there and we’ll give him a shot in the stakes and see how he stacks up.”
Cox added that the colt is always willing to give his best.
“We like him. He can handle the sprint distances and showed that at Saratoga and Belmont, but we are hopeful he might have a little distance in his future,” Cox said. “He’s a sturdy horse that’s shipped around and handled all we’ve asked of him and I think we’re going to run him with confidence this weekend.”
A $12,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Titan Ready is out of the Speightstown mare Speighty Shirl and was bred in Kentucky by Charles Fipke from the regal line of his Reine-de-Course broodmare and multiple graded stakes-winner and top producer Lady Shirl.
Conditioner Tareq Moubarak will be represented by two live contenders in last-out stakes-winner Riyadh Way [post 4, Heriberto Figueroa] and romping maiden winner Reza [post 6, Javier Castellano].
Alwaleed Thamer Alosaimi International Stables’ Riyadh Way overcame traffic trouble last out in the five-furlong Hollywood Beach on September 26 at Gulfstream Park. There, he was in seventh through the early stages under returning rider Heriberto Figueroa and was in need of room in the turn, but angled out wide to surge strongly in the lane and draw off impressively to the 1 3/4-length score over the good footing.
Moubarak said he was pleased to see Riyadh Way win from off the pace after a 4 1/4-length gate-to-wire maiden score on August 23 over the same course and distance.
“He was real professional, he sat and waited like we taught him in the mornings because we thought there was a lot of speed,” Moubarak said. “He sat, relaxed and made a nice move. He’s moved forward from that race and I’m hoping for a big run. The six furlongs should suit him perfect.”
The son of Karakontie was pre-entered to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint but was not selected to the field, and enters the Awad off a half-mile breeze on November 7 over Gulfstream’s Tapeta in 50 seconds flat.
“He’s versatile. He can go to the front, sit in the back, whatever you want him to do,” Moubarak said. “He’s professional.”
Riyadh Way was a $7,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Happy Joy Joy. His second dam is turf graded stakes-winner Auntie Joy.
MM Bloodstock’s Reza graduated in his five-furlong debut by eight lengths over the Gulfstream Tapeta in September, and followed with his first foray on grass when an even fifth under Jose Ortiz in an allowance tilt over the same distance on October 29 at Churchill Downs.
“He broke his maiden impressively on the Tapeta, and if it rains, it would be better for him. The six furlongs should suit him too,” Moubarak said. “He’s doing well and had an easy race at Churchill – he was pretty far behind and five furlongs is just too sharp for him. Jose Ortiz said he goes over the turf just fine.”
Also bred in Kentucky by Charles Fipke, the Tale of Silence gelding was a $22,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 1-placed Orb mare Pleasant Orb. His second dam is 2005 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home.
Trainer George Weaver sends out Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson and Andrew Adkisson’s Just Joe [post 1, Flavien Prat] off a fourth in the local six-furlong Grade 3 Futurity on October 3.
The Uncle Mo bay landed eighth in his August 8 unveiling going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga, but relished a cutback to 6 1/2 furlongs to graduate from off the pace in a September 7 maiden tilt at Kentucky Downs. In the Futurity, he was 14 lengths off the pace through the first half-mile and improved his position willingly but belatedly to come up 6 1/4 lengths shy of the victorious Good to Be King.
The Grade 3-placed More Champagne [post 2, Edgard Zayas] takes on the boys in search of her first stakes victory in the Awad. Trained by Tom Morley, the Golden Pal bay filly enters from a 2 3/4-length third in the Grade 3 Matron, beaten by Saturday’s Stewart Manor contender Brickyard Belle and Harper’s Corner, who both ran in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint next.
More Champagne, campaigned by StarLadies Racing, West Paces Racing, Titletown Racing Stables and U Racing Stables, was previously off-the-board in the five-furlong Group 2 Queen Mary in June at Royal Ascot ahead of a fifth in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Bolton Landing in August at Saratoga Race Course.
“She was probably a work short of where I wanted her when we ran back in Saratoga,” Morley said. “The timing from Ascot wasn’t ideal, but then we got a good clear run into the race at Belmont, and I think the additional half-furlong helped her. She ran very well, but was beaten by two fillies that went on to the Breeders’ Cup.”
On debut, More Champagne defeated next-out winner Shining Moment by 6 1/2 lengths sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on April 24 at Keeneland.
“We’ve asked a lot of her, but she’s continued to grow and level out,” said Morley. “I do think she’s put some weight on now, which is great. She’s filling out a bit behind. I think you’ll see an even better filly next year.”
The $100,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the winning Wildcat Heir mare Wildcat Gaze, a half-sister to stakes-winners April Gaze and Saratoga Treasure.
Completing the field are the 3-for-3 Metallican [post 3, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Jamie Ness, stakes-winners Arctic Wolf [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Jack Sisterson and Moneta Agenda [post 8, Jean Gregor Briceno] for trainer Joseph Murphy, and maiden-winner McMoon [post 7, Christopher Elliott], who makes his first start off the claim for trainer Chandradat Goberdhan.
The Awad is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which includes the $175,000 Stewart Manor in Race 9. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern.
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