The Phillips family and trainer Jimmy Toner teamed up to a pair of wins in Keeneland's prestigious GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. in the 1990s with Tribulation (1993) and the brilliant Memories of Silver (1996), and their third victory together proved to be well worth the wait in Saturday's renewal.
Time and Motion (Tapit), off at odds of 3-1, came out on top in a wild three-horse blanket photo to get the money by a head over the fast-closing Harmonize (Scat Daddy). It was another nose back to Euro invader Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) in third. Favored Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) tired to seventh after setting a fast pace.
“You don't know how big this is,” Toner commented. “It's been 20 years since Memories of Silver won. I was hoping I didn't have to wait another 20 years. It was today or God knows when.”
The Phillips family was also represented with wins in this contest courtesy of the John Veitch-trained trio of Graceful Darby (1987), Love You by Heart (1988) and Plenty of Grace (1990).
Saturday's attendance of 29,319 marked the second-largest crowd during a Keeneland Fall Meet.
Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse took up her preferred position on the front end, clicking off opening splits of :22.99 and :47.46, while Time and Motion was happy to sit back in fifth, just a few lengths behind the leaders. Time and Motion began to roll with a three-wide bid on the far turn as Catch a Glimpse called it a day turning for home. Time and Motion collared Hawksmoor in the final furlong and hit the front just as the trio crossed the line together in a wild one.
“I had a great trip,” jockey John Velazquez said. “We came out of there running to make sure we weren't too far back. I thought I had the horse. When I got to the horse in front of me [Hawksmoor], my horse didn't want to pass; she wanted to stay with her. 'No, Mommy. Come on. Stay on it. We gotta pay attention here.' That other horse [Harmonize] came on the outside of us, and that's what made her go forward. It was worth it.”
Time and Motion ran well enough in defeat in her first two career efforts last term, including a third-place finish in the GIII Miss Grillo S., to earn a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She ran a sneaky good fifth at 56-1 behind Catch a Glimpse at Keeneland that day and has really elevated her game since
turning three. Time and Motion reeled off three straight wins to kick off her sophomore campaign, headed by Belmont's Wonder Again S. June 5, then got going a little too late to finish within a half-length of Catch a Glimpse when a fast-closing second in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9. The Phillips Racing Partnership homebred finally turned the tables on that rival with a neck success in Saratoga's GII Lake Placid S. most recently Aug. 21.
Pedigree Notes:
Time and Motion's dam Ellie's Moment, also bred and raced by John and Joan Phillips's Phillips Racing Partnership and trained by Toner, captured the Big A's Rare Treat H. in 2003 and finished second in that venue's 2002 GII Ladies H. and 2003 GIII Next Move H. Her third foal Awesome Bet (Awesome Again), who sold for $210,000 at the Keeneland April 2-year-old sale, won the Barbaro S. and was second in the GII Super Derby. She produced Moment in Dixie (Dixieland Band) the following year, who hit the board in a pair of Grade III events for these connections and earned just under $400,000. Ellie's Moment, a half-sister to MGISW Brian's Time (Roberto), is also responsible for the juvenile filly Momentiempo (Medaglia d'Oro), who finished second on debut at Saratoga Sept. 4, a yearling colt by that Darley sire and a weanling filly by Tapit. She was bred back to Ghostzapper. Time and Motion also traces her lineage back to these connections' MGISW millionaire Memories of Silver (Silver Hawk), who is the dam of fellow MGISW turfer and millionaire Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}).
Saturday, Keeneland
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP S. PRESENTED BY LANE'S END-GI, $500,000, KEE, 10-15, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.24, fm.
1–&TIME AND MOTION, 121, f, 3, by Tapit
1st Dam: Ellie's Moment (SW & MGSP, $291,241), by Kris S.
2nd Dam: Kelley's Day, by Graustark
3rd Dam: Golden Trail, by Hasty Road
O/B-Phillips Racing Partnership (KY); T-James J. Toner; J-John
R. Velazquez. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-1, $923,150.
*1/2 to Awesome Bet (Awesome Again), SW & GSP, $319,196;
and Moment in Dixie (Dixieland Band), MGSP, $398,615.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”darbydan-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Harmonize, 121, f, 3, Scat Daddy–Mesa Fresca, by Sky Mesa.
($80,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Larkin Armstrong; B-Jack Swain
(KY); T-William I. Mott. $100,000.[bullet ad=”brookdale-foaled-raised-sold”]3–Hawksmoor (Ire), 121, f, 3, Azamour (Ire)–Bridal Dance (Ire),
by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€80,000 Ylg '14 TISEP). O-Lael
Stables; B-Tenuta Genzianella (IRE); T-Hugo Palmer. $50,000.
Margins: HD, NO, 4 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 10.70, 10.60.
Also Ran: On Leave, Mokat, Stays in Vegas, Catch a Glimpse, Queen Caroline. Scratched: Try Your Luck. 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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