Sharp Azteca’s brilliant and undefeated Tyler’s Tribe is now a perfect 5-for-5 after cruising to a 6 ½-length victory in the $100,000 Iowa Cradle S. on October 1 at Prairie Meadows.
With four stakes wins and a blowout maiden victory to his credit, Tyler’s Tribe has won his races by a combined 59 ¾-lengths and has earned $306,294 for Thomas Lepic and Tim Martin, the latter also his trainer. He is one of Sharp Azteca’s 22 winners, which leads all First-Crop sires.
As he did in all of his prior outings, Tyler’s Tribe went right to the lead on Saturday evening and was never really threatened at any point. Jockey Kylee Jordan was motionless throughout the six-furlong contest, which the winner finished in 1:09.74 on a fast track (WATCH RACE).
Martin said Tyler’s Tribe would likely start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. despite never have started on the grass, though he could also run in the Juvenile (G1) at 1 1/16-miles on the main track.
“He’s a sprinter and I don’t know if he’s ready to go long yet,” Martin said in terms of leaning towards the shorter race for the Breeders’ Cup. “I really think he will like the grass. His pedigree suggests he’ll run well on the grass and he’s got a sibling or two that has run well on the grass. I wish the race were on dirt because we know he likes the dirt. But at this point in his career I just don’t know if he’s ready for a mile-and-a-sixteenth race.”
In addition to Tyler’s Tribe’s stellar performance, Sharp Azteca got his fifth stakes horse of the year on Saturday when the filly Lady Azteca placed in the $150,000 Selima S. at Laurel Park in her black type debut.
