Horologist Romps in Summer Colony
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Horologist leads the way around the clubhouse turn in the Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms, and David Staudacher's Horologist made every pole a winning one in the $116,400 Summer Colony Stakes Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course.
A multiple graded stakes winner and the 2020 New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year, Horologist broke sharp from post 2 under Junior Alvarado and never relinquished in the nine-furlong event for older fillies and mares that have not won a graded race in 2021.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Horologist set splits of :23.66, :47.34, and 1:11.77 with Gibberish tracking her early in second position over a sealed, good main track. The pacesetter took the field into the final turn with stalkers So Darn Hot and Gold Spirit inching closer with Gibberish failing to pester.
Out of the turn, Horologist widened her advantage to seven lengths and stayed on strong to the wire for an authoritative 8 1/2-length score in a final time of 1:51.57. Gold Spirit completed the exacta by 3 3/4 lengths over So Darn Hot.
Mott said he wasn't concerned about the off going.
"She hadn't had any previous form on an off track, but she seemed to me that she would be a horse who would handle it fine. I wasn't concerned about that," Mott said.
Horologist entered from a hard-fought second to Royal Flag after setting the pace from the inside post in the July 25 Shuvee Stakes (G3) at the Spa. Two starts back, Horologist was boxed in after exiting the inside post in the June 26 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown and finished fifth.
"She was inside and stuck down in there the last two races," Mott said. "We let her bounce out of there (today) and do her thing without getting in her way. I think we've kept her from winning on a couple of occasions. A win does everyone some good."
Alvarado said he rode the even-money favorite with confidence.
"It was simple. I rode her like the best horse and she showed it out there," Alvarado said. "Once she put herself on the lead, she took me all the way around. She's very quick and is a good gate filly. If she wanted, she could go faster without using much."
The 5-year-old daughter of Gemologist captured the 2019 Monmouth Oaks (G3) and last year added the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park and Beldame Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park to her ledger in her award-winning season.
Mott said he will again point Horologist to the nine-furlong Beldame, which is slated for Oct. 10.
Horologist improved her record to 9-3-4 from 25 starts and has earned $892,939. She returned $4.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Bred by Holly Crest Farm, Horologist is the first foal and only starter out of the Stephen Got Even mare Cinderella Time, whose most recent progeny include a yearling Twirling Candy filly and a More Than Ready filly foal. Cinderella Time was bred to Speightstown for 2022.