On Time Girl Rallies to Take Forward Gal
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
On Time Girl wins the Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park
On Time Girl , a daughter of Not This Time , took the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, which was run at 7 furlongs on the main track. She earned 20 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points with the victory.
Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old filly was reluctant to load into the starting gate, but broke cleanly and sat off Mythical , who was rushed up by jockey Edgard Zayas to set the pace in a sharp opening quarter of :22.96. She sat three wide down the backstretch, and on the far turn, On Time Girl was passed by Imperatrice and Tessellate , dropped back, and looked to be fading. She then tipped outside rivals and rallied down the stretch under a confident ride by Irad Ortiz Jr.
After the race, Ortiz said, "I broke good. I felt like Mythical had speed so I stuck right there beside her ... I got out of there at the half-mile pole. I was in a bad spot and I wasn't comfortable there, but the filly responded like a champion. She kept trying and she held me there. I was able to hold my ground, hold my position, and after that I straightened out and she did the rest."
Ortiz and On Time Girl took the Forward Gal by 3 lengths in a final time of 1:24.59.
Owner Albaugh Family Stables bred On Time Girl out of their grade 3-winning Uncle Mo mare Girl Daddy . The filly is by Not This Time, another homebred for Albaugh Family Stables, who stands for $250,000 at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky.
Cox won last year's Kentucky Oaks with Good Cheer , and believes that a stretch out leading up to the Oaks could be in On Time Girl's future.
"It's possible based on pedigree," he said. "It might be something she's able to do. The Davona Dale might be in play going a one-turn mile here late February."
Todd Pletcher trainee Imperatrice finished second, a neck ahead of Cox's other entrant Sneaky Good who rallied for third. Longshot Hollen Drive was fourth and the post-time second-choice Mythical faded to fifth.
On Time Girl went off as the favorite and paid $4.20 for a $2 win wager.
Video: Forward Gal S. (G3)
Sister Troienne Takes The Sweetest Chant
Sister Troienne made it five in a row in the Sweetest Chant Stakes for trainer Brian Lynch and owner/breeder Woodslane Racing. Going a mile and sixteenth on the firm turf course under a confident ride by regular jockey Mario Gutierrez, Sister Troienne sat off pacesetter Day to Day who got loose on the lead. At the five-sixteenths pole she was let loose and cruised down the stretch in hand. Never asked, Sister Troienne won the Sweetest Chant with ease, proving to be much the best in this field.
Lynch has always been confident in his filly, and today that confidence did not waver. "Very impressive and finished up in a strong time, too," Lynch said. "When they turned down the backside she looked a winner every jump of the race. Honestly, I think she's just getting better at racing. She's got such a big, efficient stride, and when you ask her for run she just finds more. It will be interesting to see if she ever gets tested."
The daughter of Munnings won by 2 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:40.76, paying $3 for the win as the favorite.
Longshot Spicy Princess made up ground in the stretch to finish as the clear second at odds of 61-1 and Brat Pack was third. Lynch's second runner Storm's Wake was fourth.