Each week members of the media around the country vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. The poll will run weekly through June 5. Find out the latest 2021 top 3-year-old rankings below. AMERICA’S TOP THOROUGHBREDS FOR MARCH 15, 2021
Tag: Racing
Excellent Timing Takes New York-Breds By Storm In Damon Runyon
Excellent Timing made his first start for new connections a winning one with a geared-down 6 3/4-length front-running win in Sunday's $100,000 Damon Runyon, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.
The Not This Time colt was purchased privately by Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Dubb following a second-out maiden win for conditioner Charlton Baker in December at the Big A and transferred to the care of four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
Excellent Timing trained with Brown's string at Payson Park in Florida before shipping back to New York and breezing once at Belmont Park last Sunday ahead of his stakes debut.
“We had open company on our mind, but this time of year, everyone throws 3-year-olds to the wolves,” said Dubb, who celebrates his 65th birthday on Monday. “This horse could have a nice and long career, so we wanted to develop the horse the right way and not get him where he loses interest. We want to get him used to winning. Hopefully, once we do that, we can go to open company. It's the right thing to do with the horse.”
With Manny Franco up, Excellent Timing did not break sharp but was hustled to the front to mark the opening quarter in 24.49 seconds on the fast main track. The dark bay showed the way down the backstretch under pressure from It's Gravy as Perfect Munnings drafted behind rivals in third.
It's Gravy continued to press Excellent Timing into the turn as A Longlongtimeago was angled off the rail by Eric Cancel and rallied into contention with the half-mile ticking by in 49.19. Excellent Timing put away It's Gravy through the turn and opened up a 6 1/2-length lead on Perfect Munnings at the stretch call. Perfect Munnings chased in vain but there would be no catching the 3-5 mutuel favorite, who stopped the clock in a final time of 1:28.02.
Perfect Munnings completed the exacta by five lengths over It's Gravy. Rounding out the order of finish was It's a Gamble, A Longlongtimeago, Echoes of Destiny, Reggae Music Man and The King Cheek. Reggae Music Man, who leapt at the break and was caught in the hands of the starter, was declared a non-starter. Eagle Orb was scratched.
Franco said he followed instructions to the letter.
“The plan was to go to the front,” said Franco. “I just let him break out of there and get comfortable. He took me to the lead and did the rest. He's getting better. Chad had him for the first time today and did a really good job with him and I think he'll keep improving. I think he can go a little further, a mile maybe. We'll see what Chad does with him.”
Brown's New York-based assistant Dan Stupp said he was pleased with the effort.
“The horse ran huge,” said Stupp. “The team down at Payson did a good job preparing him this winter. He came up in great shape; he put on some weight and his coat looks great. Manny did a great job allowing him to show his natural cruising speed and getting him to relax and settle. The horse did the rest from there.”
Bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York and Lakland Farm, Excellent Timing banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 3-2-1-0. He returned $3.30 for a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Friday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.
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Shades Of Enola Gray: Leggs Galore Speeds To Irish O’Brien Victory
William Sims' homebred Leggs Galore was long gone in Sunday's $100,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she waltzed to a 2 ¼-length win, which was her fifth consecutive triumph dating back to Aug. 7. Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Leggs Galore, a 4-year-old California-bred filly by 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern, got six furlongs over a firm turf in 1:08.17.
Breaking like a rocket from her outside post position, Leggs Galore opened up a four- length cushion after the first quarter mile and it was readily apparent no one was capable of pressuring her, thus assuring the brilliantly fast grey her second consecutive stakes win over the course in what may've been her best effort to date.
“This race, she really started to remind me of Enola Gray (a California-bred gray that was a multiple stakes winner on turf and a winner of the 2017 Irish O'Brien) the way she won today,” said D'Amato, who notched his meet-leading 10th stakes victory. “I gave Ricky the option. I just told him to play the break, if they wanted to come get her she could rate, she's done it before, but I mean she broke like a rocket and there was no looking back.”
A handy winner of the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on Jan. 16, Leggs Galore was off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of seven older fillies and mares bred or sired in California and she paid $4.60, $2.60 and $2.20.
“She's just so special, she's so fast and talented,” said Gonzalez, who has now ridden her to four consecutive wins. “Phil said she's rated before, so I had options but the way she broke there was only one way, just keep going. She was so relaxed, she was looking around, her ears were pricked, just having fun out there. I was just a happy passenger.”
Out of the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, Leggs Galore is now unbeaten in five turf starts from seven overall races. With today's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $262,208.
In what amounted to a separate race, Bella Vita, who was third around the turn, drove up the rail in a solid effort for second money, finishing 2 ¼ lengths in front of Sadie Bluegrass. The second choice at 8-5 with Flavien Prat, Bella Vita paid $2.60 and $2.20.
A non-threatening second into and around the turn, Sadie Bluegrass held third by a head over Nardini. Based at Golden Gate Fields, Sadie Bluegrass was ridden by Brayan Pena and paid $3.40 to show while off at 5-1.
The Irish O'Brien gave Gonzalez a riding double and D'Amato picked up his 21st overall win, putting him third in the standings, one behind Bob Baffert and Peter Miller.
Fractions on the race were 21.94, 44.37 and 56.08.
The Irish O'Brien is part of the lucrative Golden State Series. Sponsored by the CTBA, the Golden State Series is for eligible California-bred or sired horses.
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Trainer D’Angelo Doing Homework For Trip To Dubai With Jesus’ Team
Trainer Jose D'Angelo's whirlwind campaign with Jesus' Team will take him to Dubai this week. Who better to call than Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to get the skinny on running a horse in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1)?
“I talked to Bob Baffert three times last week, and he told me a lot of things about going to Dubai,” D'Angelo said. “He's helped me a lot.”
D'Angelo is scheduled to fly to Dubai Monday, while Jesus' Team will leave Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Tuesday for his scheduled start in the March 28 Dubai World Cup.
The 30-year-old former leading trainer in Venezuela struck up a friendship with Baffert, a three-time Dubai World Cup-winning trainer, during Preakness Week around the stakes barn at Pimlico last fall. He also has been in contact with trainer Chad Summers, who saddled Mind Your Biscuits for a victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in 2018.
In his first full year of training in the United States, D'Angelo took a tour of the East Coast and Midwest while driving the truck towing Jesus' Team to several major-stakes engagements. Along the way, the former $25,000 claimer finished third in the Preakness (G1) and second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland before returning to South Florida to finish second in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream in January. Horse and trainer, by necessity, will have separate travel arrangements for the first time for the Dubai World Cup.
Jesus' Team breezed seven furlongs in 1:31.60 Sunday morning at Palm Meadows to compete his local preparation for the Dubai World Cup.
“I'm very happy with the work,” D'Angelo said. “He finished very strong and his gallop-out was amazing. I'm very confident now that Jesus will run a great race with a chance to win the Dubai World Cup.”
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