Tyler's Tribe aims for stakes on Oaklawn Park opening card

Iowa-bred sensation Tyler’s Tribe is expected to make his next start in the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters on Dec. 9 at Oaklawn, Tim Martin, the gelding’s co-owner and trainer, said Saturday morning.

Post positions for the 5 1/2-furlong Advent, which anchors the first of 68 scheduled racing dates in 2022-23, were drawn Saturday morning. Tyler’s Tribe, among nine entrants, is scheduled to break from post 5 under regular rider Kylee Jordan. First post is 1:30 p.m. EST, with probable post time for the Advent 3:46 p.m local time.

Tyler’s Tribe completed major preparations for a projected Advent start by working 3 furlongs in 37.60 seconds under Jordan just after the second renovation break Saturday morning at Oaklawn.

“Just a little maintenance move,” Martin, a Hot Springs resident, said moments after watching the work from the first turn. “He’s fit. He’s been running. He ran five weeks ago, obviously. I worked him a half last week. This was six days before the race. I’ll scope him. If he’s clean, we’ll race. If he ain’t … but he looks good.”

It was the second local work for Tyler’s Tribe since he suffered his first career loss in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Tyler’s Tribe was eased and vanned off after bleeding in the 5 1/2-furlong race.

Martin said he also considered Tyler’s Tribe for the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 1 at Oaklawn, but decided to pass because the anti-bleeder medication Lasix is prohibited in Kentucky Derby points events. The use of race-day Lasix is also prohibited in the Breeders’ Cup. Tyler’s Trible ran without Lasix for the first time in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Horses are allowed to run on Lasix in the Advent.

“I want to take the advantage of the Lasix right now,” Martin said before Saturday’s work. “That’s kind of why I backed off. I breezed him last week and he scoped good – no mucus, no blood, no nothing. We’ll scope him again today and if everything’s good, then I’ll go. It’s 5 1/2. He’ll like that.”

Tyler’s Tribe was a four-time stakes winner at Prairie Meadows – all sprints – with two of the victories coming in open company, including the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Aug. 27 by 15 1/2 front-running lengths. Tyler’s Tribe has won his five starts by a combined 59 3/4 lengths.

From the first crop of millionaire Grade 1 winner Sharp Azteca, Tyler’s Tribe has won five of six starts and earned $306,294.