Ikerrin Road prepped for Kennedy Road

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After a slow start to the meet, Ikerrin Road is back in the zone, and the Irish-bred should make his presence felt in Saturday’s $175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes.

Ikerrin Road gave the then-unstoppable Pink Lloyd a run for his money in last year’s Kennedy Road, finishing second after making a threatening wide bid in the six-furlong sprint. It capped a highly productive campaign during which he won the Grade 3 Bold Venture and three other races after trainer Vito Armata claimed him for $32,000 in the spring.

This past spring, however, was a different story for Ikerrin Road, who got a break after flopping in his first two outings of the year. He also struggled on a sweltering day in the Grade 1 Highlander on June 30, but won an optional claimer on the main track following another layoff Aug. 18.

Ikerrin Road was withdrawn from the Sept. 15 Bold Venture after the gelding had to be medicated due to a mild bout of colic, according to Armata.

“I had to scratch him, but I didn’t care as long as the horse was all right,” Armata said.

Ikerrin Road wasn’t far back in eighth after a troubled trip in the Grade 2 Nearctic on good turf on Oct. 13. He closed strongly to win the sixfurlong allowance prep for the Kennedy Road in 1:09.66 on the Tapeta on Nov. 7.

Eight others were entered in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road. Pink Lloyd has been put away for the year and was not entered.

KEY CONTENDERS

Ikerrin Road, by Iffraaj Last 3 Beyers: 90-89-86

◗ Ademar Santos retains the mount on the 5-year-old, who breezed a half-mile in 49.40 seconds last Saturday.

Yorkton, by Speightstown Last 3 Beyers: 97-103-96

◗ The speedy favorite has never been better. He romped two back in the 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture. He led until the last jump when beaten a neck most recently in the six-furlong Nearctic when his rider lost his whip in the stretch.

◗ He runs well fresh and has worked three times since the Nearctic, including fiveeighths in a bullet 59.20 last Saturday.

Hemp Hemp Hurray, by Artie Schiller Last 3 Beyers: 81-96-88

◗ The 3-year-old lost the place photo to Yorkton in the Nearctic. He was a beaten favorite last out in the prep, setting rapid fractions before fading to fourth.

Singandcryindubai, by Victor’s Cry Last 3 Beyers: 86-94-93

◗ He finished fourth after a wide trip in the Nearctic and was a prominent second in the prep. Those solid efforts were his first two starts for trainer Denyse McClachie.