Witty Carries Hope for Local Trainer in Jim McKay
BALTIMORE – Preakness Day has always been a big deal to Elizabeth Merryman.
“I am a Maryland-bred and it’s a day I have always enjoyed,” Merryman said. “My family has had multiple boxes at the wire, before I was born. Just great memories.”
Merryman hopes to make one of her own on Saturday when she saddles 6-year-old gelding Witty in the 20th running of the $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico Race Course.
Merryman is the breeder of the Pennsylvania-bred and co-owns him along with Qatar Racing LLC and Marc Detampel. She is also the trainer of the gray son of Great Notion, who has won three of 14 career starts on grass and has seven seconds. Overall, Witty has nine wins, 11 seconds and a third in 30 starts.
Her training career began in 2004 and Merryman has never won a race on Preakness Day. She did, however, win the The Very One Stakes on Black-Eyed Susan Day in 2021 with her homebred Caravel, who would later win the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) that year after she sold him.
Having a contender in the Jim McKay and chance to shine on Pimlico’s biggest day is why she is in the game.
“It would be amazing,” Merryman said. “And, with this being the last year of Pimlico, it would be just incredible.”
The current Pimlico building will be torn down this year and then rebuilt.
Witty, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, does his best running from off the pace. The Jim McKay will be his second start of the year following a second in the 5 ½-furlong King T. Leatherbury on grass April 19 at Laurel Park. That was his first start since last December.
“He got slammed really hard leaving the gate,” Merryman said of the comeback race. “He broke really well but got hit hard from the inside and the outside and he was knocked back farther than he probably should have been.”
In order for Witty to be able to do his thing in the Jim McKay, he will need a good pace to run at and he should certainly get that.
Start with the Dale Romans-trained Coppola, who should come blazing out of the gate with jockey Umberto Rispoli from Post 6. The 6-year-old son of Into Mischief, owned by Hammer Time Stable, has 10 wins in 30 career starts and is cutting back to his favorite distance.
Coppola has won six of his 10 tries at five furlongs.
“That helps him a lot,” Romans said of the distance. “That’s why we’re coming. He is fast. I have never had a horse that ran as fast as he did the first half mile at Gulfstream Park [:42 3/5] when he won the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint in January. I am very confident he is going to show up and run his race.”
Speed is also the friend of 7-year-old gelding Fore Harp, trained by Robert E. ‘Butch’ Reid Jr. and owned by Reid, LC Racing LLC and James Bonner. The son of Weigelia won the Leatherbury in front-running fashion, taking it by 1 ¾ lengths. He will be ridden by Abner Adorno and will start from Post 9.
Also entered is Boat’s a Rockin for trainer Brandon Kulp and owner M3 Racing Stable. The 8-year-old gelding by Red Rocks will be making his 2025 debut in the Jim McKay; lifetime he has won 14 of 33 starts on the grass. Angel Rodriguez will be aboard and they will start from the Post 1.
Determined Kingdom, a 6-year-old gelding by Animal Kingdom, faded as the 4-5 favorite in the Leatherbury in his first start of the year for trainer Michael Trombetta and the Estate of R. Larry Johnson. He had won 10 of his prior 21 starts on the grass.
Trainer Jeff Runco will send out 5-year-old Duncan Idaho, a son of Fiber Sonde for owner David M. Raim. The Charles Town-based horse has won all three of his starts this year, each of them allowance races. Angel Cruz has the mount, and they drew Post 7.
Arnaldo Bocachica will ride Honeyquist from Post 3 for trainer Anthony Farrior and owners Mammas Boys Thoroughbred Racing Group LLC, Ultra Championship Racing LLC and James F. Miller. A son of Nyquist, the 5-year-old gelding will be making just his second start on the grass. He won a gate-to-wire allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on the grass last July.
Mattingly, a 4-year-old colt by Bucchero, ships up from Florida after winning a five-furlong turf allowance at Gulfstream Park on April 27; it was his first grass win in eight tries. Paco Lopez rides for trainer Joe Orseno and owners Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and Harlow Stables LLC. They drew Post 8.
Five-year-old gelding No Nay Hudson will represent trainer Wesley Ward and owner Andrew Farm and For the People Racing Stable LLC in the Jim McKay. In 14 sprint starts on grass, he has three wins, three seconds and two thirds. Junior Alvarado is the jockey for the son of No Nay Never and they have Post 2.