Ward Sends Out Promising Duo in Skidmore
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Overbore wins the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park
After saddling Golden Pal to a superb victory in last year's $120,000 Skidmore Stakes, trainer Wesley Ward will vie for more prosperity in the 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for 2-year-olds, sending out stakes winner Overbore and impressive maiden winner Kaufymaker in the ninth edition of the Aug. 20 race at Saratoga Race Course.
Owned by Peter Leidel, Overbore arrives off a two-month layoff after breaking his maiden on the main track in the June 4 Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park. He tracked a swift pace from third to capture the 5 1/2 furlong event over muddy and sealed going by three-quarters of a length.
The favorite in all three of his starts, Overbore, a dark bay or brown son of Speightstown , will return to turf two starts after finishing second, beaten a nose to eventual Queen Mary (G2) fourth Artos in a maiden race over the Churchill Downs turf May 21.
"We gave him a little break and he's back to doing well," Ward said. "I wanted to give him a little breather after he fired three races like he did. He's been doing well at Keeneland. We shipped him up to Saratoga and he's settled right in nicely."
As the lone stakes winner in the Skidmore field, Overbore boasts $108,500 in earnings.
Purchased for $275,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overbore is the first progeny out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded stakes-placed Saffir mare Galina Point .
Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 9.
Kaufymaker breaks her maiden at Keeneland
Gregory Kaufman's Kaufymaker , the second half of the Ward entry, returns stateside following an endeavor across the pond in the June 15 Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, where she finished eighth, beaten four lengths.
The chestnut Jimmy Creed filly turned heads in her debut score, breaking her maiden by 6 1/4 lengths over the main track in April at Keeneland.
Kaufymaker resumed training at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga, where she recorded a half-mile work in :48 1/5 Aug. 15 over the Oklahoma turf course under jockey John Velazquez.
"(Kaufymaker is) doing very well. Ascot was disappointing because I was pretty confident going into that race," Ward said. "She was really working tremendously on the grass. She had a real nice work this morning over the Oklahoma turf with Johnny V up. She's doing really well, and we're looking for a big effort with her."
Velazquez will return to the irons from post 3.
Leading trainer Mike Maker sends a formidable contender in Kendall Hansen's Pure Panic , who graduated first time out last month in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden event over the turf at Ellis Park. The gray son of Summer Front will look to give Maker his fourth stakes triumph of the meet.
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 8.
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, August 20, 2021, Race 9Entries: Skidmore S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Barone Cesco (KY)
Eric Cancel
122
Antonio Sano
8/1
2
2Averly Jane (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
119
Wesley A. Ward
2/1
3
3Kaufymaker (KY)
John R. Velazquez
119
Wesley A. Ward
8/5
4
4Backnthewoods (MD)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
Wayne Potts
6/1
5
5Catch the Smoke (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
Wayne Potts
15/1
6
6Bonus Appreciation (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122
Steven M. Asmussen
12/1
7
7Golden Bell (KY)
John R. Velazquez
119
Wesley A. Ward
5/1
8
8Pure Panic (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Michael J. Maker
2/1
9
9Overbore (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Wesley A. Ward
5/2
10
10Baytown Warrior (KY)
Brandon Whitacre
122
Paul McEntee
30/1
