Grooms All Bizness wins the Jim McKay Turf Sprint May 18 at Pimlico (Anika Miskar/Past The Wire)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Colts Neck Stables’ homebred Grooms All Bizness, last-out winner of the five-furlong Listed Jim McKay Turf Sprint on May 18 Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course, will now turn his attention to the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing on June 8 Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course.
The Jaipur will be contested at 5 1/2 furlongs this year and offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.
Trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr., Grooms All Bizness traveled well off-the-pace in eighth-of-10 early before surging seven-wide to capture the Jim McKay Turf Sprint in a final time of 1:01.80 over soft ground. The 5-year-old Fed Biz gelding was making his first start off a lay-off dating to a third in the 5 1/2-furlong Select in August at Monmouth Park.
“I think three weeks on these turf sprinters is not a crazy thought, especially when they run on no Lasix,” said Duarte, Jr. “We’ll look at how he’s doing in the next week but these Grade 1-sprinters, it seems like a lot of the same cast of characters. We’ll see how he is, but it’s a good, unique race in Saratoga and it would be good to participate.”
The Pimlico performance earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Duarte, Jr. said coming from farther back demonstrated the versatility of Grooms All Bizness, as he was seen running closer to the pace when capturing Monmouth’s Get Serious in June.
“He usually runs off the first flight. It depends on how fast they are going, seems like last time it was whoever was getting a hold of the track,” Duarte, Jr. said. “He always wants to get his feet under him and make that run, usually on the outside. That’s kind of his forte.”
Out of the Colts Neck Stables-campaigned winning Candy Ride mare Bride to Be, Grooms All Business has won three of his last four starts, good for a lifetime record of 13-5-3-2 with $318,775 in earnings.
Colts Neck Stables’ Nothing Better, the Aqueduct Racetrack six-furlong outer turf course record holder, is also nominated to the Jaipur but will likely look past in favor of the 5 1/2-furlong Get Serious on June 16 at Monmouth or the five-furlong Listed Mighty Beau on June 8 at Churchill Downs.
Last out, the 7-year-old Munnings gelding reared up at the start of the Listed Elusive Quality and essentially lost all chance on May 4 at Belmont at the Big A.
“He needs more of a hand-picked scenario. He’s a front runner and likes firm ground,” Duarte, Jr. said.
Last year, Nothing Better contested the Jaipur off a close second in Pimlico’s Turf Sprint and was 13-1 in the classy 14-horse field. He set the pace going the then six-furlongs at Belmont Park before fading to a close fifth behind graded/group winners Caravel, Big Invasion, Casa Creed, and Dr Zempf.
Duarte, Jr. said if Grooms All Bizness enters the Jaipur that last-out local allowance winner Subrogate will likely also be in tow for the trip to Saratoga in an undercard-allowance.
The 4-year-old Arrogate gray won his seasonal debut on April 12 here sprinting six furlongs on the main track, first off the layoff dating to a pair of fourths in June and July at Monmouth, including in the Listed Pegasus when beaten a head by Howgreatisnate for show-honors behind Salute The Stars and Kingsbarns.
“If I go up with Grooms All Bizness, I would bring him too, for a 2-other-than allowance” said Duarte, Jr. “He also won off the layoff. He ran strong that day. Since he started breezing early as a 3-year-old I thought he was going to be a nice addition to our barn.
“He had a little setback, but we gave him time and he came back in good form. He was always well-regarded,” Duarte, Jr. added.
Out of the Elusive Quality mare Goose Lemon Drop, Subrogate was a $250,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He boasts a lifetime record of 5-2-1-0 with $121,100 in earnings.
