Timeless Bounty Pulls 59-1 Upset in Steel Valley Sprint

Two starts back on an October afternoon at Thistledown, trainer David Wilson Jr. dropped the tag on a 3-year-old Michigan-bred colt for $15,000 out of a starter optional claiming contest. That day, the colt named Timeless Bounty  was running for a $21,300 purse. Timeless Bounty ran an encouraging third in an allowance optional claimer at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Racecourse in his first race for Wilson, which gave the trainer enough confidence to take a shot at the Nov. 22 $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint Stakes, the biggest prize of the year at the Youngstown, Ohio oval.

And despite facing the highly touted Baby Yoda  from the Bill Mott barn and multiple stakes winners Jaxon Traveler  and Beren , the 59-1 Timeless Bounty stole the show with a fast closing three-quarters of a length victory.

Timeless Bounty bided his time well off the :22.27 and :45.15 pace set by the dueling Beren and Jaxon Traveler. Gaining momentum while 4-wide around the turn, Timeless Bounty ran down a stubborn Beren under jockey Malcom Franklin to stop the timer in 1:11.01 for the six furlongs on a fast main track.

Timeless Bounty paid $121.20 to win on a $2 bet.

Beren was second while Jaxon Traveler was moved up to third after Mister Luigi  was disqualified to seventh for interfering with Baby Yoda in the stretch run. Heavily-favored at 3-5, Baby Yoda walked out of the gate, was never in serious contention throughout and faltered after being bumped by Mister Luigi.

Bred by Elkhorn Oaks and owned by Willow's Green Stables, Timeless Bounty upped his earnings to $210,714 after the Steel Valley Sprint and now sports a record of 5-2-3 from 14 starts. The colt had broken his maiden at Mahoning Valley in December of his 2-year-old year.

Timeless Bounty is a son of Michigan stallion Elusive Hour  and is out of the winning Even the Score  mare Nava. He is a half brother to the Dominus   2-year-old filly Candlelight Hours, who captured the Oct. 30 Best of Ohio John W. Galbreath Stakes at Mahoning Valley for Elkhorn Oaks. Nava has a weanling full sister to Candlelight Hours.