Pickin' Time Powers Home in Nashua
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Pickin' Time wins the Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Pickin' Time overtook the favorite and pacesetter Ten for Ten in the final furlong and powered home a 2 1/4-length winner to notch his first graded stakes victory in the Nov. 8 Nashua Stakes (G3) for juveniles at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Owned by John Bowers Jr., Pickin’ Time entered with ample stakes experience for trainer Kelly Breen following his debut win at 4 1/2 furlongs in July at Monmouth Park. After the Stay Thirsty colt ran eighth in the Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2) Aug. 7, Breen returned him to Monmouth for consecutive stakes appearances. He ran second in the one-mile Sapling Stakes Sept. 6 and won the six-furlong Smoke Glacken Stakes Sept. 27.
Stretched back out to a mile, Pickin’ Time broke sharply from post 4 under jockey Trevor McCarthy and tracked in fifth position before moving up to fourth as 6-5 favorite Ten for Ten led the seven-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :22.86 with the half in :46.10 and three-quarters in 1:11.98 on the fast main track.
Out of the turn, jockey Eric Cancel kept Ten for Ten near the rail, while McCarthy made a strong bid from the outside at the top of the stretch. Pickin’ Time picked off his rival and finished strong, completing the course in 1:39.89 to improve to 3-1-0 in five starts.
“We got a great break and that's what I wanted; get him out and make sure he had a comfortable spot, which he did,” McCarthy said. “Looking down the backside, I was very comfortable where I was. I wasn't getting too much kickback, and that seems to be a pretty big key this weekend. I was able to get outside coming to the turn and let him get in his mojo. After that, he really accelerated strong for me and gave me a great effort through the lane. I was delighted.
“Kelly had him ready today,” he added. “He was the most experienced horse in the race, so I was really happy looking into that. Everything worked out perfect.”
Breen said the Remsen Stakes (G2) on Cigar Mile Day Dec. 5 is the next target for the New Jersey homebred. The 1 1/8-mile test offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
“He’s just growing into himself,” Breen said. “He was kind of a big and gawky 2-year old. When he ran in Saratoga, he ran against that real nice horse of Steve Asmussen’s (Jackie's Warrior). We didn’t get off great that day. Today was the right timing, and everything worked out well for him. He’s staying right where he’s at. We’ll look forward to the Remsen.”
Off at 9-1, Pickin’ Time returned $21.00 on a $2 win bet. He improved his earnings to $184,025.
Courtlandt Farms’ Ten for Ten, a $410,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was 10 1/4 lengths the best of Isolate for second in his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
Nova Rags, Civil War, Irish Honor, and Spectatorless completed the order of finish.