5YO Half-Brother to Caravel Pointed to $100k Turf Sprint Oct. 12
Laurel Wraps Up Weekend with Eight-Race Program Sunday
LAUREL, MD – Elizabeth Merryman-bred, owned and trained Grade 2-placed turf sprint specialist Witty, who earned a sixth career stakes victory in his April season opener at Laurel Park, breezed Saturday ahead of a planned return trip to next weekend’s Maryland Million.
The 5-year-old Witty, a younger half-brother to retired Grade 1-winning millionaire Caravel out of the mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, worked an easy four furlongs in 50 seconds over a fast main track at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.
“He’s doing good,” Merryman said. “We just got him out there today to give him a chance to do something. I never work him too fast. I just kind of let him go however he wants to go.”
Runner-up in the June 29 Highlander (G2) at Woodbine, Witty is being pointed to a title defense in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint, a 5 ½-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up. A three-time stakes winner on both grass and dirt, he is also pre-entered in the $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the main track.
“We’re just going to go for the turf,” Merryman said. “It would be very special to win the race again.”
The 39th Jim McKay Maryland Million program features eight stakes and four starter stakes worth $1.08 million in purses Saturday, Oct. 12. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday for all 12 stakes.
The Turf Sprint joined the lineup in 2004 and ran through 2012, returning from a seven-year hiatus in 2020. Only one horse, late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben’s Cat, has been a repeat winner of the Turf Sprint, taking it three straight years from 2010-12.
Witty’s first turf stakes win came in the 2023 Ben’s Cat at historic Pimlico Race Course in his prep for last fall’s Maryland Million, and he began 2024 with a victory in the April 20 King T. Leatherbury, named for Ben’s Cat’s breeder, owner and trainer who remains a regular presence at Laurel.
Merryman has three career Maryland Million wins, the first two courtesy of Roadhog in the 2012 and 2013 Turf.
“When they decided to drop the Turf Sprint, they shortened the Turf from a mile and an eighth to a mile. Ben’s Cat opted to give it a go running a mile, and I beat him with Roadhog that year,” Merryman said. “I felt bad for him because he got taken out of his game and Roadhog had the game he wanted.”
In early September, Merryman was named the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s National Small Breeder of the Year for 2023, her second straight time winning the award. Merryman skipped the ceremony to saddle Witty in the Ainsworth Turf Sprint (G2) the same day at Kentucky Downs, where he ran last. It was the first time worse than second this year and just the seventh from 25 career starts, with eight wins and 10 seconds.
“I didn’t get there for it, but I probably should have gone the way Witty liked Kentucky Downs,” Merryman said. “It’s very special to be recognized again. It was amazing.”
Notes: Trainer Jamie Ness, who had been 0-for-26 with 13 seconds to start the calendar year-ending fall meet, broke through with his first two winners Saturday: Our Liberty Belle ($10.60) in Race 2 and Kick Startness ($7.20) in Race 4. Both horses were ridden by Mychel Sanchez … Jockey Jeiron Barbosa doubled aboard P Money ($15) in Race 1 and El de Larry ($4.80) in Race 5 … Dark Hollow Farm, Dorsey Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Davidov and Mr. & Mrs. David Schwaber’s Daze ($2.80), a Maryland homebred daughter of Sky Mesa, followed up on her dazzling 7 ½-length debut victory Sept. 13 with another front-running romp in Saturday’s Race 8 feature. Trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by her husband, Sheldon Russell, she captured the seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for 2-year-old fillies by eight lengths in 1:25.70 over a fast main track … Brittany Russell swept the late double following a popular 11 ¾-length debut victory by 3-year-old Sun Cross ($5) in Race 9. The Catholic Boy filly was ridden by Jevian Toledo, his second winner following Naked and Famous ($6.60) in Race 3 … Laurel wraps up the weekend with an eight-race program Sunday starting at 12:25 p.m.