The very well-bred Not This Time, a double-digit maiden winner at second asking at Ellis Aug. 12, punched his ticket for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a jaw-dropping performance in this “Win and You're In” GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile challenge race.
Highly touted and off at 7-5 in his debut sprinting here June 30, the dark bay broke slowly that day and checked in fifth behind 'TDN Rising Star' and subsequent GIII Sanford S. winner Bitumen (Mineshaft). Stretching out to a one-turn mile second out at Ellis, the Albaugh Family homebred was an impressive graduate, wiring the field of seven as the 1-2 chalk for a 10-length romp.
Bet to 9-5 in this stakes and two-turn debut from a 4-1 morning-line quote, Not This Time hopped in the air at the start and was left to run in seventh while three wide on the clubhouse turn. Inching closer heading into the far bend, he made a four-wide advance at the three-eighths pole and inhaled the leaders at the top of the lane. Drawing away from there, Not This Time splashed home a much-the-best winner in this very promising performance.
“He's the real deal,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He's spooky good and I think he's everything I've always thought he was. He's just so talented. That [slow break] wasn't going to get him beat. Robby [Albarado] rode him well.”
Albarado added, “He hopped at the gate. Dale gave me confidence to just kind of ride my own race and get him in a nice, cruising stride. He took a little dirt, which schooled him a bit today, but he ran well. He's a nice horse. In his first race he broke slow and rushed up in the race, made a move–he was very green. I didn't beat on him too much. It was a tough race that day and the winner ended up winning a stakes at Saratoga. He's a nice horse, man. He's got a future.”
Pedigree Notes:
Albaugh Family Stable homebred Not This Time is a half-brother to 'TDN Rising Stars' Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), MGISW, $1,358,940–an $800,000 KEESEP yearling–and Taylor S (Medaglia d'Oro), SW & GSP, $121,519. Not This Time's unplaced then-5-year-old half-sister Minnie Macy (A.P. Indy) sold for $500,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale in foal to Curlin. Miss Macy Sue, victress of the 2007 GIII Winning Colors S. sprinting beneath the Twin Spires, produced a Bodemeister colt in 2015–a $450,000 KEESEP RNA earlier this week–and was barren this year. She was bred to Tapit in 2016.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
IROQUOIS S.-GIII, $150,000, CD, 9-17, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.22, my.
1–#@NOT THIS TIME, 118, c, 2, by Giant's Causeway
1st Dam: Miss Macy Sue (GSW, $880,915), by Trippi
2nd Dam: Yada Yada, by Great Above
3rd Dam: Stem, by Damascus
O/B-Albaugh Family Stable, LLC (KY); T-Dale L. Romans;
J-Robby Albarado. $90,210. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0,
$114,183. *1/2 to Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), MGISW,
$1,358,940; and Taylor S (Medaglia d'Oro), SW & GSP,
$121,519. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: B.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-keesep2016-rna”][bullet ad=”berkelhammer-abracadabra-graduate”][bullet ad=”kempton-bloodstock-mating”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Lookin At Lee, 120, c, 2, Lookin At Lucky–Langara Lass, by
Langfuhr. ($70,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-L & N Racing LLC;
B-Ray Hanson (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $29,100.
3–Recruiting Ready, 118, c, 2, Algorithms–Need, by Strong
Hope. ($110,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $240,000 RNA 2yo '16
FTFMAR). O-Sagamore Farm; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Horacio
DePaz. $14,550.
Margins: 8 3/4, HD, 1. Odds: 1.80, 8.60, 3.00.
Also Ran: Honor Thy Father, Thirstforlife, Just Move On, Blame Will, Skinflint.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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