Time to Dream impressive when capturing the P. G. Johnson (Chelsea Durand)
Christian Abdo/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Repole Stable’s Time to Dream closed from deep to capture her stakes debut ultra-impressively in Wednesday’s Listed $150,000 P. G. Johnson presented by Snap-On, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Not This Time bay closed to win her local one-mile debut by 2 1/4 lengths on July 25. With Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard for the first time in the afternoon from the inside post of the Listed P.G. Johnson, Time to Dream extended her winning margin to five lengths with an eye-catching turn of foot.
“We were very excited about her debut and even more so coming out,” Pletcher said. “She trained really well following her debut and she came over and handled herself very professionally. She was great in the paddock and had to stand in the gate a little while and took that in stride and displayed that big turn of foot that she has again.”
Time to Dream was bumped inward by Bayou Brigid out of the gate, and settled in 6th-of-7 as a headstrong Vernon Valley cleared the field from the outside post to overtake her sharp-starting Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained stablemate Tiz in Sight through an opening quarter-mile in 24.03 seconds on the firm turf.
“Todd told me, ‘ride her like a good horse.’ I think she is, so that’s what I did,” Ortiz, Jr. said of his early patience. “I was in a good position, I know the pace went a little slow, so I tried to start working out of the backside – start working out for somewhere if the pace going too slow, tried to make an early move maybe in the second turn.”
Ortiz, Jr., settled Time to Dream at the back down the backside to the outside of Bayou Brigid, several lengths behind Vernon Valley who carved out the half-mile in 49.21. In the second turn, Time to Dream was the trailer, but tipped wide and began picking off rivals rounding the bend through three-quarters in 1:14.
“She was traveling beautiful in behind the horses and she give me a good feel every step of the way,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I know they went a little slow, but as soon as I moved the hands on the backside, she jumped in the bridle right away.”
At the top of the lane, Vernon Valley battled on with Scratch It and Time to Dream emerging as the main threats and Devilish Grin also ramping up with a late bid. Time to Dream put quite the kick on display down the center of the course, seemingly to instantly spurt clear and score over Scratch It in a final time of 1:43.68.
Devilish Grin finished one length back in third with Vernon Valley keeping on to complete the superfecta. Tiz in Sight, Bayou Brigid and Sushi rounded out the order of finish. Blanchett and main track-only entrant Americathegreat were scratched.
“It’s nice to have a filly like this one – a 2-year-old and she’s got that turn-of-foot,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “It’s really special. As soon as she goes by the other horses, she started looking around, ears up… very nice horse. Hopefully we can keep going forward with her.”
Pletcher indicated Time to Dream could target the Grade 2 Miss Grillo on October 4 at Belmont at the Big A or the Grade 2 Jessamine on October 3 at Keeneland – both offering a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.
“I thought we’d maybe be in a little closer position, but we know she has that big turn of foot, so he was just waiting for the right time to press the trigger,” Pletcher added. “She did the same thing in her debut – got shuffled back in the middle of the turn and came on again.”
Flavien Prat said the dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox-trained Scratch It was game in her stakes bow off a 1 1/4-length debut graduation over course and distance on August 1.
“I was in a good spot, and I couldn’t get any closer. She traveled good and made a run,” Prat said.
A $750,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, Time to Dream is out of the unraced Street Sense mare Wild Silk, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Joking and also produced multiple graded stakes-winner Red Carpet Ready. She banked $82,500 in victory while returning $3.30 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.
Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with an 11-race card, highlighted by the Grade 3, $175,000 With Anticipation in Race 7. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
