Post Time. (Jeffrey Snyder/MJC)
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – Hillwood Stable’s Post Time, a multiple graded-stakes winner that was Grade 1-placed in his prior two starts, returned to his home track for the first time in seven months and overpowered four rivals with a commanding 11 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Polynesian to at Laurel Park.
The 20th running of the one-mile Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up was the last of three $100,000 stakes to kick off the calendar year-ending fall meet stakes schedule, preceded by No Show Sammy Jo’s popular triumph in the All Along and Loon Cry’s score in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash, both for fillies and mares 3 and older on the grass.
Post Time ($2.10) was alone under jockey Sheldon Russell as they came through the stretch, crossing the wire in 1:36.98 over a fast main track to win by 11 ½ lengths and remain perfect in seven career starts at Laurel.
“My eyes welled up as he came down all by himself. It was wonderful,” Hillwood’s Ellen Charles said. “We were happy, and he was happy.”
Frightland, also trained by Brittany Russell, was quickest from the gate and set the pace for his late-running stablemate going the first quarter-mile in 23.80 seconds pressed by Ain’t Da Beer Cold and opening up by nine lengths following a half in 47.03. Post Time broke last and trailed early but Sheldon Russell put the 4-year-old Frosted colt into contention, moving up to third along the inside.
Jockey J.G. Torrealba and Frightland were still clinging to a short lead rounding the far turn when Post Time came off the rail and moved alongside followed on his right by Debit Card. The three ran evenly to the top of the stretch with Post Time between horses until Russell called on the 1-9 favorite and he asserted his class, gaining separation once straightened for home and rolling home under a hand ride.
Curlin’s Malibu, the longest shot on the board at 35-1, came running late for second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Debit Card, followed by Frightland and Ain’t Da Beer Cold. Riccio, last out winner of the off-the-turf Find Aug. 18 at Laurel, was scratched.
Bred in Maryland by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman and Milton Higgins III and part of Laurel-based Russell’s string at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., Post Time earned $60,000 for the win to push his bankroll to $997,910. He has never been worse than third in 13 starts, nine of them wins.
Post Time last raced at his home track in the Feb. 17 General George (G3), his first graded win, which was followed by a victory in Aqueduct’s Carter (G2). In his last three starts he ran second in the Westchester (G3) and Met Mile (G1) and third in the Whitney (G1), the latter two at Saratoga.
“We’ve had the most wonderful time traveling with Post Time. He’s just a lovely horse to be with,” Charles said. “He always does his best. The friends that I travel with … we just have a great group that go together and it’s really fun.
“The Met Mile was amazing and actually [in] the Whitney, he was so close to being second. It was just very, very exciting to watch him,” she added. “He likes to travel, too. He’s just a wonderful horse to be around.”
Looking ahead, the connections are considering a start in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Post Time has two wins and two seconds in four tries at the distance.
“I just have to keep pinching myself that it’s really going to happen,” Charles said. “It’s amazing. A little boy from Maryland has really done the job.”
The Polynesian is named for the 1945 Preakness (G1) winner that put together a record of 27-10-10 with purse earnings of $310,410 from 1944-47, 16 of his victories coming in stakes. Named the U.S. champion sprinter in 1947, he went on to a successful stud career most notably as the sire of Hall of Famer Native Dancer, the 1953 Preakness winner, and grandsire of 1966 Preakness winner Kauai King.
