Never Enough Time | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Legacy Farm

As we approach the opening of the 2024 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why.

Here we catch up with Larry Johnson, the owner of Legacy Farm in Bluemont, Virginia.

“I'm trying to go from primarily breed-to-race to more commercial opportunities,” said Johnson.

A GREAT TIME (10, Street Magician – Short Time, by Clever Trick) to be bred to Constitution
A homebred stakes winner of nearly $250,000 by my homebred stallion Street Magician (Street Cry {Ire}), she is a three-quarter sister to homebred Grade I winner Victor's Cry (Street Cry {Ire}). Her first foal by Gun Runner is a just-turned 2-year-old that I will race.
She is in foal to Justify, who I was fortunate to get for $100,000, and will be bred to Constitution, who I am a shareholder in. I believe he has his best days still ahead of him.

ALLWEWANTFORXMAS (15, Songandaprayer- Grecian Wings, by Mr. Greeley) to be bred to Cody's Wish
This MSP homebred is the dam of my Grade III winner of $400,000 Spun Glass (Hard Spun) and the stakes-placed winner of nearly $200,000 Xmas Surprise (More Than Ready). I will race her current 3-year-old by Hard Spun. Her 2-year-old by Gun Runner was a $325,000 Keeneland September Yearling.
She is booked to Cody's Wish, whose record and story needs no further explanation.

IN THE NAVY NOW (11, Midshipman – Looking Afar, by Broad Brush) to be bred to Maxfield
A relatively rare 2-year-old purchase for Mike Trombetta and me. She is a stakes winner of $250,000 and her first foal is the now stakes-placed filly Naval Empire (Empire Maker). Her current 3-year-old sold for $200,000 at Keeneland. She has a Street Sense 2-year-old that we retained and an Omaha Beach yearling. She is in foal to McKinzie and booked to Maxfield to leverage the quality of her current Street Sense 2-year-old.

NEVER ENOUGH TIME (6, Munnings – What Time it Is, by Partner's Hero) to be bred to Life Is Good
A homebred daughter of Munnings, she is a multiple stakes winner of $400,000. Her first foal is a Constitution yearling. She is back in foal to him and will be bred to Life Is Good, who averaged over $400,000 as a covering sire. The potential should be limitless.

PAST AS PRELUDE (13, Bernardini – Magical Meadow, by Meadowlake) to be bred to Charlatan
A homebred daughter of Bernardini and a half to my homebred graded stakes winner Street Magician. She is already the dam of the MSP earner of $245,000 Continentalcongres and the stakes-quality filly Future is Now (Great Notion). She is booked to Charlatan for this year. His racing ability and pedigree speaks for itself and his first crop has averaged nearly $200,000.

SKY COPPER (19, Sky Mesa – Legendary Priness, by Gone West) to be bred to Maxfield
This stakes-placed mare is already the dam of Sky's Not Falling, a current stakes winner of $400,000, and two stakes horses by Street Magician. Her current 2-year-old by McKinzie was a $230,000 RNA at Saratoga this past year. She has a McKinzie yearling and is in foal to him. She is booked to Maxfield for 2024, all to leverage the Street Cry influence (that has already worked). The 2024 breeding will also be a 3×3 breeding to Caress, the dam of Sky Mesa.

SPUN GLASS (7, Hard Spun – Allwewantforxmas, by Songandaprayer) to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro
Spun Glass is a newly retired homebred Grade III winner of $400,000. Her first breeding will be to Medaglio d'Oro, a proven Grade I sire who gets runners on all surfaces and distances. At his current fee, he is a remarkable value.

WALK OF STARS (13, Street Sense – Star Kell, by Star de Naskra) to be bred to Essential Quality
Walk of Stars is a homebred stakes winner and is a half to Strike the Moon (Malibu Moon), a multiple stakes winner of nearly $700,000, and What Time It Is (Partner's Hero), the dam of MSW Never Enough Time (Munnings). Her 3-year-old by Constitution was a $600,000 Keeneland September graduate. She has already produced the stakes placed Hollywood Walk (Animal Kingdom). She has a Maclean's Music yearling and is in foal to Jack Christopher, which will produce a breeding similar to Never Enough Time. She is booked to Essential Quality for 2024 to build on the Tapit bloodline that produced her $600,000 yearling.

WHAT TIME IT IS (Partner's Hero – Star Kell, by Star de Naskra) to be bred to Olympiad
What Time It Is is a MSP homebred with earnings of $220,000. Her current 3-year-old by Munnings was a $280,000 Saratoga grad and is currently in training with Wesley Ward. She has already produced MSW Never Enough Time (Munnings) and is currently in foal to Charlatan. She will be bred to Olympiad for 2024. Both of these stallions have been extremely well received by the market to this point.

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Truth Hurts Takes Bite Out Of Pumpkin Pie At Belmont

Chad Summers and J Stables' Truth Hurts rallied impressively up the rail to capture the first division of Sunday's $100,000 Pumpkin Pie, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward contested over a sloppy and sealed main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Summers, and piloted to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr., Truth Hurts covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.99 for a two-length victory. It was the third career Pumpkin Pie victory for Ortiz, Jr., who previously won it in 2014 [Classic Point] and 2018 [Sower].

Breaking from post 5, Truth Hurts had to steady shortly after the start but Ortiz, Jr., remained patient aboard Truth Hurts while Victim of Love, Aunt Kat, and Starfront all battled for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.67.

Just inside the half-mile pole, Ortiz Jr., asked Truth Hurts to move closer to the leaders, all while saving ground on the rail. After a half-mile in :46.40, Truth Hurts moved into fourth as she began to pass tiring horses.

As the field entered the turn, Ortiz Jr., took advantage of an opening on the rail and overtook Victim of Love and Starfront. Truth Hurts, full of run, responded to right-handed encouragement from Ortiz, Jr., and held off the wide late rally of Never Enough Time.

The victory followed a pair of off-the-board efforts from Truth Hurts at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs,N.Y., including a close fourth in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss in July with Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

“I really didn't want to be on the rail,” said Summers. “Irad said he got squeezed coming out of there and went to Plan B. He rode her in the Honorable Miss up the rail and he said he knew she didn't mind being inside. He let her do her thing and it worked out well.”

Ortiz Jr., said he was aware that the race could develop into a speed duel between several horses.

“I knew some other horses had speed, but she's been up close before in sprint races,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I got some room to go on the inside. I asked her and she went forward and kept doing it. She responded really well.”

Summers said Truth Hurts, who captured an off-the-turf edition of the Perfect Sting in July at Belmont, will now target the one-mile $250,000 Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap on December 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

“That's been the plan all along. Hopefully, we can get a little graded black type on December 4. A mile should hit her right between the eyes,” Summers said.

Rounding out the order of finish was Union Maiden, Honor Way, Starfront, Victim of Love, and Aunt Kat.

Truth Hurts returned $17.60 on a $2 investment. She improved her lifetime record to 13-4-1-1 and now has earned $262,075. Bred in Ontario by William D Graham, Truth Hurts is a daughter of Tonalist, out of the Distorted Humor mare Witty Gal.

Live racing returns Friday at Belmont Park with packed 10-race card which includes the $200,000 Ticonderoga for New York-bred fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the turf; the $150,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies going a one-turn mile; the $100,000 Awad for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the turf; and the $100,000 Atlantic Beach, a six-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Hello Beautiful Scores Big In Weather Vane At Laurel

With her regular rider on crutches and watching from the grandstand, Hello Beautiful provided Sheldon Russell with a spectacular get-well gift as she rolled to a popular and emotional 10 ¼-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Weather Vane at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The second running of the six-furlong Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and older was the first of four stakes worth $500,000 in purses headlined by the $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash for 3-year-olds and up.

Russell's wife, trainer Brittany Russell, fought back tears as she tried to explain how much the victory meant to her team, particularly since her husband – Maryland's top money-earning jockey this year at the time of his Sept. 9 foot injury – will be out indefinitely.

“It's really bittersweet. I had a tear in my eye, watching it with Sheldon,” she said. “She's just so special.”

Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful ($2.40), sent off at 1-5, had been ridden by Russell in 14 of her first 16 starts, eight of them wins, including six stakes led by the July 31 Alma North at historic Pimlico Race Course, his 1,500th career victory.

With Jevian Toledo up, Hello Beautiful broke alertly and was quickly in front as her main challenger, fellow multiple stakes winner Never Enough Time, stumbled from the gate. Hello Beautiful was in command throughout, coasting through a quarter-mile in :22.37 and a half in :45.32 and opening up through the stretch to win under wraps in 1:09.56 over a fast track.

“She's a really special filly. When you have a nice horse like her, anyone can win on her like that,” Toledo said. “I have to give her all the credit. I just put her in the front and she grabbed the bit the whole way. In the stretch, I just showed her the stick and she took off, and when I looked back it was easy enough so I just took hold of her and she came back real easy to me.”

Toledo and Russell, both Maryland year-end champions and multiple meet leaders during their careers, are represented by Marty Leonard.

“We have the same agent and we are mates. You never want to see anyone get hurt. I feel bad because I know how special the filly is to him and for his wife,” Toledo said. “Thank God we were able to get the job done. Hopefully, he can come back and ride her the next time.”

Stakes-placed Coconut Cake, racing for the first time since March 13, finished second with Never Enough Time two lengths back in third. Praise and Honor and Fifteen Royals completed the order of finish.

The Weather Vane is named for the Maryland-bred champion older filly of 1998 that won 17 of 36 career starts and 14 stakes including the 1997 Grade 3 Safely Kept.

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MATCH Series Returns To Colonial Downs With Four Stakes On Monday

Strong fields have been assembled for the four Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH) Monday, Aug. 23, at Colonial Downs, which returns to the series for the first time since 2001.

The Virginia track will host four $100,000 stakes in each MATCH Series division for 2021: the Chesapeake (3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt), Seeking the Pearl (Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt), Victory Gallop (3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt) and Love Sign (Filly and Mare Long—Dirt). First post time for the pari-mutuel program is 1:45 p.m., with a pair of non-wagering steeplechase events beginning at 12:15 p.m.

The six-furlong Chesapeake attracted the top two horses in the division standings by points: WSS Racing and 4 G Racing's Mucho (13 points) and Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki (12 points).

Mucho, who has been stabled at Colonial Downs with trainer John Ortiz, won the Challedon Stakes at Pimlico Race Course July 31 to earn his first series victory. Reylu Gutierrez, who was aboard at Pimlico, is named again in the Chesapeake, which will be the 5-year-old Blame horse's third series start.

Laki, trained by Damon Dilodovico, will make his first Colonial Downs start in 36 career outings. Laki, an 8-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Cuba, was second in the Lite the Fuse Stakes at Pimlico and has started in the first three stakes in his division. He will pick up 5 MATCH Series bonus points in the Chesapeake for his fourth start in the series. Regular rider Horacio Karamanos is named.

Also entered is Whereshetoldmetogo, who finished third behind Mucho in the Challedon for owners Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and BTR Racing (trainer Brittany Russell). The 6-year-old Maryland-bred by El Padrino has won 11 races and also makes his local debut. Sheldon Russell is named to ride.

With division leader Chub Wagon (20 points) having opted for a Pennsylvania-bred stakes at Parx Racing on the same day, and Hello Beautiful—second in the standings with 17 points—taking a pass, the seven-furlong Seeking the Pearl offers a chance for Larry Johnson's Never Enough Time to make up ground.

Trained by Mike Trombetta, who also entered Three Diamonds Farm's Kiss the Girl, Never Enough Time has 5 MATCH Series points after two starts in her division. The 5-year-old Maryland-bred by Munnings is the only entrant with a win at Colonial Downs—in her last start in her first outing locally. Julian Pimentel is named to ride again.

Multiple graded stakes winner Frank's Rockette, owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and trained by Bill Mott, also is entered and appears the probable favorite as the 4-year-old Into Mischief mare approaches the $900,000 mark in earnings on a record of eight wins in 15 starts.

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Hillwood Stables' Cordmaker, third in the division standings with 8 points after two MATCH Series starts, gets a chance to move up in the standings in the 1 1/16-mile Victory Gallop which, like the Love Sign, is raced around one turn.

Regular rider Victor Carrasco is named on Cordmaker, a 6-year-old Maryland-bred gelding trained by Rodney Jenkins. He has been first, second or third in 20 of 30 starts and has performed well at the one-turn-mile distance at Laurel Park.

Triple V Racing and trainer Ortiz claimed Singapore Flash for $40,000 from an allowance/optional claiming race on the turf at Colonial Downs last time out and entered him in the Victory Gallop. In his last race on the dirt, the 5-year-old Shanghai Bobby gelding cleared his first allowance condition at Fair Grounds Race Course in Louisiana. Gutierrez will ride.

Mark Grier's Sosua, undefeated in three starts for Fair Hill Training Center-based trainer Arnaud Delacour, will attempt to remain perfect in the 1 1/16-mile Love Sign. Hector Diaz Jr., aboard for all three of the 4-year-old Speightstown mare's victories, will ride again.

ABL Stables, Domenic Bossone, Patrick Donnelly, Jacob Schnoor and W. Oberdorf's Sweet Sami D, with 5 MATCH Series points after two of six division legs, also is entered. Trained by Pat McBurney, the 5-year-old First Samurai mare finished third in Caesar's Wish Stakes at Pimlico and then won an allowance event at Delaware Park.

The MATCH Series, the only one of its kind in racing, began May 14 at Pimlico and will wrap up Dec. 26 at Laurel. The 2021 edition features 24 stakes valued at $2.75 million and $282,000 in bonus money.

Owners and trainers will compete for $63,000 in divisional bonuses and the overall MATCH Series champion will net $30,000 in bonuses for its owner and trainer. In addition, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association will pay a $3,000 bonus to the breeder of the top points-earning Maryland-bred and $3,000 for the top points-earning Maryland-sired horse. If the top points-earner is both Maryland-bred and -sired, the breeder would get $6,000.

Colonial Downs, which was an original partner when the series debuted in 1997 and participated until it was discontinued in 2001 but returned in 2018, had signed onto the planned 2020 series, which was canceled because of COVID-19. When the regional MATCH partners determined that the full series would be delayed until 2022, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club decided to run a Maryland-based series, and the Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Colonial Downs offered to participate.

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