Titan Ready looks for first career win in $200K Skidmore
Qatar Racing and Fergus Galvin's Titan Ready will look to post a stylish graduation in Thursday’s $200,000 Skidmore, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.
The son of Title Ready makes his stateside debut on the heels of a head defeat to Uncle Dodo in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Victoria over Tapeta on July 12 at Woodbine Racetrack. Titan Ready made his first two starts in Canada for trainer Sid Attard, and moved south to the barn of dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox after being purchased privately ahead of Thursday’s test.
Both of Titan Ready’s starts have been nearly identical, with his June 14 debut also a narrow defeat sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Woodbine, coming up a half-length short after setting a pressured pace.
“We haven’t had the horse for a long time, but the one time we breezed him it went well, and we think it’s worth a shot to try him in here,” said Blake Cox, son of and assistant to Brad. “He is a very straightforward horse, a good mover, and very easy to deal with.”
The dark bay colt has worked back twice since the Victoria, once over the Woodbine Tapeta [five furlongs in 1:01.40 on August 1] and once over the Oklahoma turf training track in his first work for Cox on August 16, covering a half-mile in 50.23 seconds in company with dual Group 3-winning filly Tabiti.
“We breezed him on the turf and he worked well outside the dogs, kept up with an older filly very nicely,” Cox said. “We liked the way he handled it and hopefully he can stretch out going forward.”
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 by Charles Fipke from the regal line of his Reine-de-Course broodmare and multiple graded stakes-winner and top producer Lady Shirl.
Manny Franco rides from post 6.
Hall Stables’ Kentucky homebred American Pope [post 2, John Velazquez] brings the most experience to the field with six starts under his belt, led by a fourth-out maiden win over Titan Ready going this distance on Tapeta in June at Woodbine Racetrack for trainer Paul McEntee.
The son of American Pharoah was stakes placed as a second-start maiden when a good third in the Kentucky Juvenile going five furlongs over sloppy and sealed footing in April at Churchill Downs. American Pope made his turf debut last out on August 1 at Ellis Park, landing a closing fifth in the Riverside Rush and matching the career-best 56 Beyer he earned for his maiden win.
Trainer George Weaver has had plenty of success with juvenile turf sprinters such as Cy Fair, Crimson Advocate and Governor Sam, and will look to notch his first win in this event with the local maiden-winner Wood Island [post 8, Flavien Prat].
Campaigned by Smart Choice Stable, Wood Island went wire-to-wire in an off-the-turf sprint over this distance on July 31, keeping on willingly to win by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:06.17 over three rivals on the fast track. The effort earned a 46 Beyer.
Wood Island has posted one work over the Saratoga turf training track when covering a half-mile in 48.84 on July 3. He most recently logged a half-mile in 48.90 on August 20 over the Oklahoma dirt.
A $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, the son of Jackie’s Warrior is out of the Artie Schiller mare Chilly Fashion, making him a half-brother to dual stakes-placed Arm Candy.
A trio of last-out maiden winners ship in from Monmouth Park, led by the Jorge Delgado-trained filly Legacy Lady [post 7, Javier Castellano], who earned a 55 Beyer for her 3 1/2-length graduation at second asking in a five-furlong turf sprint on July 17. Campaigned by Lea Farms, she improved greatly from a nine-length fifth on debut sprinting over the main track in June at Belmont at the Big A.
Ca Sal Stables’ Bettabe Tough [post 4, Dylan Davis] led each step of the way to a five-furlong turf maiden victory on July 12 on the Jersey Shore to earn a 50 Beyer for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, while Next Level Stables’ Johnny Hockey [post 3, Chris Elliott] was a fifth-out winner in prominent fashion over six furlongs of fast dirt there on August 9. The latter colt’s trainer, Antonio Arriaga, will also be represented by three-start maiden filly So Angelina [post 1, Dalila Rivera] for the same ownership.
Completing the main body of the field is Titletown Racing Stables’ Kentucky homebred River of Deceit [post 5, Junior Alvarado], who landed second in a maiden special weight over Thursday’s distance in June at Belmont at the Big A for trainer Tom Morley. The son of Hard Spun is a half-brother to a pair of dirt stakes-placed winners in Mo Quality and Go to Girl.
Trainer Wesley Ward has entered Dixiana Farms’ Arsenal Star [post 9 AE, Edgard Zayas], who will hope to draw in off the also-eligible list to make his career bow following three works at Saratoga, including a half-mile in 51.22 seconds over the Oklahoma turf training track on August 16.
“He’s doing everything right in the mornings, and he has to take on winners in a stakes race, but he’s a nice colt,” Ward said. “He’s been breezing very well.”
A $200,000 purchase by Ward at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the Munnings gray is out of the winning Ward-trained American Pharoah mare Carnaby Street, and his third dam is Grade 1-winning Coolmore color-bearer Marylebone.
The Skidmore is slated as Race 8 on Thursday’s nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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