Tyler's Tribe

The 2-year-old gelding Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) is the fastest horse in Iowa--maybe the fastest horse ever to come out of the Hawkeye State--and has won his five career starters by a combined 59 3/4 lengths. But does that make him good enough to win a Breeders' Cup race? The Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland was his co-owner and trainer Tim Martin, and when the big event rolls around, he'll be going into the race with confidence. "For me, it's...

After another dominating performance, this time in the Iowa Cradle S., the undefeated Iowa-bred gelding Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) will face the stiffest test of his career when going next in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. Just don't call him an underdog. He's too fast for that. "We're headed to Kentucky and I think we have a good horse," said co-owner and trainer Tim Martin. "I know he's been running in Iowa but has been beating them pretty bad over there. He's been pretty amazing." The...

It was little more than another high gallop for Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) at Prairie Meadows Saturday evening, as the 'Hammering Hawkeye' took his record to five towering wins from as many appearances against five overmatched foes in the Iowa Cradle S. The dark bay hit the ground running from his outside berth and had a bit of early pace pressure, but cleared away from that rival, and with Kylee Jordan a mere passenger into the lane, ran out an easy winner. Tyler's Tribe was then asked to gallop out...

Can an Iowa-bred who sold for just $34,000 as a yearling, one who has never raced outside Prairie Meadows or in a graded stakes race, an Iowa-bred that is ridden by a female apprentice jockey and named for an 8-year-old who has been battling leukemia win a Breeders' Cup race? We are about to find out. Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) may not be the best 2-year-old in training, but no juvenile anywhere this year has thrashed his competition to the extent that this gelding has. After winning last Saturday's Prairie...

Pan the camera away from Saratoga and Del Mar, where the glamorous juveniles debut one after another, and focus for a moment on two lower-profile tracks that hosted two eye-popping performances this weekend. On Saturday at Prairie Meadows, Tyler's Tribe, a 2-year-old Iowa-bred gelding by Sharp Azteca (Freud), won the 5 1/2-furlong Iowa Stallion Futurity by 12 1/2 lengths in 1:04:18 to remain undefeated in three starts. He earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure--you read that correctly--for the easy score. It wasn't a fluke, either, because in his previous start...

Tyler's Tribe became the first black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Freud) with a daylight score in the Prairie Gold Juvenile S. Saturday at Prairie Meadows. Just like in his debut June 20 over this surface at a furlong shorter, the 2-year-old dark bay opened a clear lead early and stayed there. After capturing his unveiling by 16 3/4 lengths, he took Saturday's stakes event by 8 1/2 lengths. Tyler's Tribe broke from the rail Saturday, blazed to the front, set :22.07 and :45.16 fractions, and barreled home a...