Arrest Me Red won the 2025 Big Daddy Stakes at Turfway Park, prevailing by a half-length following a race-long duel with 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals. Arrest Me Red is coming off a prep victory at Turfway as he prepares for Saturday night’s renewal of the $125,000 Big Daddy sprinting on the Tapeta, but he faces some others who have shown a serious affinity for this track.
The 8-year-old Arrest Me Red, trained by Wesley Ward, has earned more than $1.5 million. He is a six-time stakes winner, highlighted by the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint in the fall of 2021 and the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint in May 2022. He missed by half a length in the Grade 1 Jaipur in June 2022.
In recent years, he has been a step below in graded turf sprints but has continued to perform admirably. Since February 2024, Arrest Me Red has made 12 starts, with five wins and three runner-up finishes. That includes a 3-for-4 record at Turfway Park, where his only loss was a runner-up effort in the 2024 Forego.
After winning the six-furlong Big Daddy last year, Arrest Me Red was winless in four turf sprint starts that season – although he was second by a neck in the Mighty Beau at Churchill Downs. He returned to the winner’s circle with a front-running win in an allowance on Jan. 14 at Turfway.
Joe Shiesty edged Arrest Me Red in the Mighty Beau, one of three career stakes wins for the gelding, who also finished ahead of the favorite when checking in third in the Grade 2 Woodford last October at Keeneland. The most recent stakes victory for Joe Shiesty, who is trained and co-owned by Eric Foster, came in the Holiday Cheer on Dec. 21 at Turfway, where he led and then held by a head over Grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz.
G T Five Hundred has also shown an affinity for Turfway, with five wins from six local starts, including three straight. The Mike Maker trainee has shown an ability to stalk or press the pace, which he may need to do if Arrest Me Red and Joe Shiesty go at it. However, he was a front-running winner of his most recent start, disposing of pressure and holding on to take the Forego by a head on Feb. 13.
Arrest Me Red consistently earns Beyer Speed Figures in the 90s and got a 100 last out. Joe Shiesty and G T Five Hundred earned Beyers of 92 and 95, respectively, in their most recent starts. Even if these three go at it early and leave themselves vulnerable late, they seem to simply outclass the rest of this field of seven, particularly with their local form.
Mischievous Angel is multiple stakes-placed on turf at Laurel but is shipping in for his first try on synthetic. Cinister Cix rallied to win a maiden special weight in his 11th career start at Turfway. Runnin’ Rocket prompted the pace in the Forego before fading to eighth, and I’m a Gambler is winless since December 2024.
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