Timberlake Catches General Partner in Champagne
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Timberlake wins the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Any grade 1 stakes win is usually an emotional moment for the connections.
For Elliott Walden, the CEO, president, and racing manager of WinStar Farm, Timberlake 's victory in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack was especially rewarding when Siena Farm, WinStar's partner in the 2-year-old son of Into Mischief, was mentioned.
In August, Siena founder and co-owner Anthony Manganaro died at the age of 79. His son, Todd, is now running the operation.
"Anthony was a great friend, mentor, and especially a great partner," Walden said. "The first text I got after the race was from his son, Todd. We recently bought some yearlings with them, and it's going to be fun to go forward with them and continue Anthony's legacy."
That legacy will now be extended into the Breeders' Cup as a wise decision by trainer Brad Cox to run Timberlake in the Oct. 7 Champagne earned the 2-year-old a fees-paid "Win and You're In" spot in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
The two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer had also entered the Hopeful Stakes (G1) runner-up in Saturday's Breeders' Futurity (G1) at a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile distance at Keeneland but opted for the Champagne at a one-turn mile.
"I wanted to give him one more run around one turn, and take the blinkers off. It worked out. He ran big. The blinkers off helped a lot. He settled in well and didn't pull. The blinkers had a lot to do with that," Cox said. "He learned a lot in the Hopeful, and we learned a lot about him, and it paid off today."
Though Timberlake led in the stretch of the seven-furlong Hopeful but was caught by 54-1 shot Nutella Fella , he handled the mile distance of the Champagne with aplomb, grabbing the lead approaching the eighth pole and drawing away to win by 4 1/4 lengths over a sloppy, sealed surface.
"He's accomplished a lot in his four starts," Walden said after WinStar's initial Champagne victory. "I think the two turns at the Breeders' Cup will be good for him. He's a big, strong horse. He's got a beautiful, two-turn pedigree. I think he'll be OK at the (1 1/16-mile) distance."
Timberlake, a winner of two of four starts, was bred by St. Elias Stables in Kentucky and was bought for $350,000 from the Gainesway consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Klaravich Stables' General Partner set the pace in the Champagne, leading by a half-length after a half-mile in :45.44 in the wet going. Jockey Florent Geroux had moved Timberlake ($11.80) up to third in the field of eight 2-year-olds at that point, then swung about seven paths wide to launch a bid for the lead. The Cox runner grabbed the lead before the eighth pole and pulled away in the final sixteenth to cross the wire in 1:35.90.
"He's not the quickest horse out of the gate, but he always puts himself in a good position. We knew what we had," Geroux said. "Last time he was the favorite in the Hopeful and had a little bit of trouble and was very rank. Today, we took the blinkers off and he was way more relaxed and (I'm) hoping he is going to improve again."
General Partner, a son of Speightstown , was second by 8 1/4 lengths over Dancing Groom , giving trainer Chad Brown pause to consider the Juvenile as an option for the runner-up, who was making his third career start.
"I thought he ran great. The winner was very impressive. They set some fast fractions, but I did like the trip. It was good judgment (by jockey Manny Franco) to go on with it. There was no excuse," Brown said. "Even though he got passed late, he was going pretty fast, and I wouldn't say he can't get two turns, especially if he got a more comfortable setup where he isn't blazing along. I don't think he's distance-limited because he got beat at a mile."
Eduardo Soto's 37-1 Dancing Groom, a son of Vino Rosso trained by Antonio Sano, was coming off a five-length maiden win in an off-the-turf race at Saratoga Race Course.
Repole Stable's Fierceness , the 1-2 favorite off an 11 1/4-length maiden win on a sloppy track, lunged at the start and never fired, finishing seventh.
Out of the Lookin At Lucky mare Pin Up by four-time champion general sire Into Mischief , Timberlake is the fourth of six foals from his dam and her first stakes winner. She also has a yearling Army Mule colt who sold for $4,500 to Foundations Farm at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and a 2023 Known Agenda colt.