Royal Urn will be shorter this time

In the John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey-bred sprinters on May 15 at Monmouth, it was “no” on even-money Pickin’ Time and “go” on his older brother, 17-1 Royal Urn. The betting public misread the pecking order in the Kelly Breen barn in the six-furlong Reilly but still might side with Pickin’ Time again in Sunday’s $85,000 Sunny Ridge Handicap for New Jersey-breds over one mile on dirt.

Four-year-old Pickin’ Time exited a layoff of nearly six months in the Reilly, but 7-yearold Royal Urn hadn’t raced in more than 10 months. Pickin’ Time, who carried three pounds more than his stablemate and sibling, got hooked into a pace battle and tired late as Royal Urn swept to an upset win, his first victory since October 2020.

The win two autumns ago happened to come in Royal Urn’s most recent two-turn start, and even picking up three pounds, racing at level weights with Pickin’ Time, Royal Urn, who was gelded during his down time, could spring another surprise.

The two are part of a ninehorse field, six of whom exit the Reilly, which was the first start following a layoff for four of those horses.

Pickin’ Time won the Grade 3 Nashua as a 2-year-old, a onemile race run around one turn at Aqueduct. By Stay Thirsty out of the King of Kings mare Born Royalty, the colt has a route-leaning pedigree, but is he actually a route horse? His top performances during 2021 came in the six-furlong Gallant Bob and the sevenfurlong City of Laurel, and it’s no sure thing more distance will be his friend in the Sunny Ridge.

Royal Urn came into being through a mating of Born to Royalty and the sprint-leaning sire Kantharos, but his route credentials are stronger than Pickin’ Time’s. The win in October 2020 came in an offturf New Jersey-bred 1 1/16mile race, and the 91 Beyer Speed Figure that Royal Urn earned is among the best in his career. His only previous dirt-route starts came in a July 2020 New Jersey-bred stakes, where he was a solid second behind Golden Brown, and in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in November of his 2-yearold season. Royal Urn did win a two-turn turf race as a 2-yearold and at age 3 finished third in a grass route behind Casa Creed and Henley’s Joy, who became solid graded stakes performers on grass.

Trainer Luis Carvajal has two runners, Our Man Luke, who will run better going long than he did in his ninth-place Reilly finish, and Prendimi, a 7-year-old with creditable New Jersey-bred stakes credentials who might need to shake off rust making his first start since October.

Put it all together and it looks like going back to the well with Royal Urn once more is the right play.