Oaklawn Barn Notes: Tyler’s Tribe to Get Rest After Advent Third

By Robert Yates —-

Tyler’s Tribe to Get Rest After Advent Third

Iowa-bred sensation Tyler’s Tribe, who finished third as the heavy favorite in the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-olds Friday at Oaklawn, will receive a 30-day break after bleeding during the 5 ½-furlong race, Tim Martin, the gelding’s co-owner/trainer, said Saturday morning.

Tyler’s Tribe, per usual, shot to the lead under regular rider Kylee Jordan and held a clear advantage turning for home before weakening late to finish 3 ½ lengths behind unbeaten Count de Monet.

“Bled a little bit yesterday,” Martin said. “He’s out for a little while, for sure.”

Tyler’s Tribe was racing for the first time since being eased and vanned off after bleeding in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Tyler’s Tribe had raced on Lasix in his first five career starts – all blowout victories at Prairie Meadows – but the anti-bleeder medication is prohibited in the Breeders’ Cup.

Tyler’s Tribe received Lasix for the Advent, which marked his return to dirt.

“It wasn’t nothing like the Breeders’ Cup,” Martin said. “He was looking pretty good and whenever he stopped, I was like, ‘Uh oh,’ something happened.’ When she pulled him up, he had blood in his nose.”

Tyler’s Tribe will spend approximately a month at Martin’s nearby Royal Training Center, the trainer said, before the gelding resumes training for a possible comeback spot during the final weeks of the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meet that ends May 6.

“I’m going to let him be a horse,” Martin said. “I’ll probably give him a month, just let him be horse, and then just see where he’s at and see what’s going on. I’ve got some therapy that’s pretty good for that (bleeding), I think, that we’ll work on.”

One race Martin could target is the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters April 29 at Oaklawn.

“There’s a race or two at the end of the meet that I’ll look at, if he’s good,” Martin said. “We’ll give him time, a lot more time. There’s some stuff coming up late, three or four months. Just give him time and let him be ready.”

Martin had said an appearance in the Advent was contingent on a clean endoscopic examination following a Dec. 10 work, which was the gelding’s second at Oaklawn. Martin said Tyler’s Tribe scoped clean following each breeze.

“No sign, no nothing,” Martin said, referring to blood. “I wanted to take advantage of the Lasix, but that didn’t work.”

From the first crop of millionaire Grade 1 winner Sharp Azteca, the physically imposing Tyler’s Tribe crushed his competition at Prairie Meadows. He captured his first five starts, including four stakes, by a combined 59 ¾ front-running lengths. Tyler’s Tribe toppled open company in two stakes races, including a 15 ½-length romp in the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Aug. 27.

Tyler’s Tribe, a $34,000 yearling purchase, has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $320,169 for Martin and his Iowa City, Iowa, co-owner, Thomas D. Lepic.

Options for Barber Road

Barber Road completed major preparations for his scheduled comeback this month, working 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 after the surface renovation break Friday morning at Oaklawn under David Cabrera. The track was muddy.

Following the work, trainer John Ortiz said Barber Road is still being considered for the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 17 at Oaklawn, with an allowance race that day another option. Barber Road’s major local objective, Ortiz said, is the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles April 22.

“We’re going to kind of fiddle with both,” said Ortiz, who trains the 2022 Arkansas Derby runner-up for former Walmart executive William Simon. “I wanted to see how he did in this breeze. Obviously, he’s a nice horse and we would like to keep him in stakes because of what he’s done, but he’s got options. He’s got conditions. It (Tinsel) is a mile and an eighth and it might be asking a little much, but he’s got to get going.”

Ortiz said he would huddle with Simon, in town to watch the work, before making a decision. Post positions for the Dec. 17 card will be drawn Monday.

Barber Road was among three horses to go through Oaklawn’s four-race Kentucky Derby points series in 2022, finishing second in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, second in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), third in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) and second in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1). Barber Road hasn’t started since the Belmont Stakes in early June. Barber Road, a 3-year-old son of multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Race Day, has never faced older horses.

Ortiz said another one of his promising 3-year-olds, Ice Orchid, was scratched from Saturday’s $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes at Oaklawn because of an off track to be rerouted to its $150,000 Pippin Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 7. Ice Orchid was exiting a runner-up finish in the $300,000 Chilukki Stakes (G3) Nov. 19.

“We’re just going to go straight to the Pippin,” Ortiz said. “We’re just being cautious with the weather coming in.”

Ice Orchid also finished second in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) last February at Oaklawn. The daughter of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver is a homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, Oaklawn’s all-time leading owner.

Ortiz said his stakes-winning older male sprinter, Top Gunner, will be sidelined several months because of a recently sustained leg injury. Top Gunner won two allowance races as the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting.

“He’ll miss the show here,” Ortiz said.

Finish Lines

Newcomer Rafael Bejarano rode three winners Friday, including two for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. Bejarano won the first race aboard Acehigh Royal ($10.20) for Moquett, seventh race aboard Hazy Command ($8) for trainer Tom Amoss and the ninth race aboard favored Pattern Bet ($3.20) for Moquett. The nationally prominent Bejarano, previously based in Kentucky, said he came to Oaklawn to ride first call for Moquett. Pattern Bet had finished second in her first five career starts, all coming at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting. Acehigh Royal and Pattern Bet are owned by Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock, Ark., and represented the first Oaklawn victories for Arkansas-based sire Gentlemen’s Bet. Moquett and Rosenblum teamed to win the $100,000 Hot Springs Stakes in 2015 at Oaklawn with Gentlemen’s Bet. … Friday’s opening-day double gave Moquett 299 career victories at Oaklawn. Moquett had two horses entered Saturday. … Kylee Jordan, a candidate for a 2022 Eclipse Award as the country’s outstanding apprentice rider, recorded her first career Oaklawn double – and first two victories in Hot Springs as a journeyman – Friday. Jordan, 20, won the fifth race aboard Wesleyan ($63.80) for trainer Tim Martin of Hot Springs and the sixth race aboard She’s Storming ($96) for trainer Michael Hewitt. … Jockey Nik Juarez recorded his first career Oaklawn victory in Friday’s second race aboard Distorted Secrets ($7.60) for trainer Carl Deville and owner Jerry Caroom of Hot Springs. Juarez’s agent is retired Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens. … Trainer Martin Villafranco saddled his first career Oaklawn winner, Flap Jack ($14.60), in Friday’s fourth race for four-time Oaklawn leading owner Danny Caldwell and country music star Toby Keith. Villafranco is the son of trainer Federico Villafranco. … Trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs is scheduled to send out his first starter of the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting, League of Legends, in Sunday’s ninth race. Fires, 82, has at least victory at every Oaklawn meet since 1977.

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