Baird Pilots One Timer to Franklin-Simpson Score
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Photo: Coady Photography
One Timer leads throughout in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs
Jockey E.T. Baird was calm, cool, and collected Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs.
As the horses made their rounds in the paddock, it was Baird's mount, 19-1 shot One Timer in the $527,150 Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G2T), who seemed frazzled.
Prancing around in circles, the 3-year-old Trappe Shot gelding was quite the juxtaposition to Baird, yet this was no surprise to the 55-year-old rider.
"I've known him, I rode him (when he) broke his maiden," Baird said. "He just wants to do it. He wants to go."
It was on the track where the two ultimately met in the middle—and there was a job to do against heavy favorite Big Invasion .
"I'm not worried about any of them behind me," Baird said. "They have to cover the ground I own. I just got to ride my horse and whatever happens, happens."
The pair wasted no time showing what they were capable of, quickly moving into the front out of the gate. Clear by the first call, One Timer threw down splits of :21.64 and :45:04 in the 6 1/2-furlong race.
Following in second was Run Curtis Run under Ricardo Santana Jr., who held pressure onto the leader through the entire race but could not get close enough. Big Invasion was also no match, slow to get in gear and only make a belated rally in the final furlong.
Rounding the turn, it was evident that the race was Baird and One Timer's to lose.
They crossed the wire first in 1:14.59, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of the runner-up. One Timer returned $41.94 to win for a $2 wager.
"He broke really well, and I was able to open up a couple lengths lead. He just has a high cruising speed, he was really comfortable coming around the turn, had his ears pricked, he was just doing it real easy," Baird said.
"He was in the battle the whole way; he was wanting to run. He was relaxed enough...when I asked him, he just re-broke."
Jockey E.T. Baird after winning the Franklin-Simpson
Run Curtis Run retained second and Big Invasion finished third.
Bred in Kentucky by St. Simon Place, One Timer increased his earnings to $577,113 for his owners Patricia's Hope and Richard Ravin. His record improved to 5-1-0 from eight starts.
Having spent much of the past few months traveling around to various tracks to ride, Baird, a Chicago native, says he is always grateful to see it pay off.
"I'm a man with no home. I'm a nomad. I've been riding in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New York, Texas; I've been all over," Baird said.
The longtime rider at Arlington International Racecourse and Hawthorne Park decided to branch out following Arlington's closure earlier this year.
He says that he only has a handful of wins at the Kentucky Downs oval.
"The people I'm going on the road for are people that I rode for in Chicago, they have nice horses," Baird said.
One Timer is the sole runner out of the Blame mare Spanish Star . The dam also has a 2-year-old Tapwrit colt named Pasa Doble, a yearling Arrogate filly, and dropped a Twirling Candy filly this year. She was bred back to Essential Quality for the 2023 season.
The gelding was a $21,000 purchase for Vincent Foglia from the Machmer Hall Sales consignment to the 2020 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale.