It was a disappointing United States debut for Godolphin’s Legend of Time .
Try number two was more adventurous but exceedingly more successful.
Powering through a seam between horses in the final furlong at a fortuitous moment, the son of Sea The Stars registered a narrow last-to-first victory over a determined White Palomino in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-olds May 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
“He’s a nice horse and he got a nice trip round. It would have been nicer if the gap opened up earlier,” said Chris Connett, an assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby. “But when it did, he showed his tenacity. He got through them and finished off very strongly.”
The victory by a head in the mile-and-an-eighth turf stakes came on the heels of a fifth-place effort in the American Turf Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs when Legend of Time was a 6-5 favorite in the May 4 stakes off four wins in five starts overseas. Second most of the way that day over a turf labeled good, the son of the Danehill Dancer mare Kissable tired in the final furlong and finished fifth, five lengths behind the victorious longshot Trikari .
“He came out of the race nicely which was why Charlie was willing to roll the dice today and take a chance,” Connett said. “These are nice races to come in and try to pick up.”
In the Pennine Ridge, Legend of Time bobbled at the start and was last in the field of six as White Palomino cruised along on the front end through fractions of :48.76 and 1:12.98 on firm turf.
“Nice to see the way he relaxed after his last run. He was more of the horse we expected to see,” Connett said.
Jockey Joel Rosario kept the 4-5 favorite ($3.80) along the inside down the backstretch and futilely looked for a way to move outside as the field turned for home. Fortunately a seam opened between White Palomino and Cable Ready , who was second but drifted out a lane and faded to fourth in the final furlong.
“It’s nice to ride ones like him. They make it easy. I was worried,” Rosario said about the lack of room, “but I was on the best horse.”
The final time for the nine furlongs was 1:47.73.
Connett said Legend of Time would be shipped to Godolphin’s Greentree training center at Saratoga Race Course and that the July 6 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) was “on the radar.”
James Bakke and Gerald Isbister’s White Palomino, a son of Kitten’s Joy trained by Chad Brown, was second by 1 1/4 lengths over a rallying Besilu Stables’ Royal Majesty , a Frankel colt trained by Bill Mott who also lacked room in the stretch and had to tip out late.
“The trip was good,” said Flavien Prat, who rode White Palomino. “I thought the job was done. But the Godolphin behind us, he had the best horse.”
The top three finishers all received invites to the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby.
Legend of Time was bought for the equivalent of $174,613 from the New England Stud consignment at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. With Saturday’s win, he has five victories in seven tries with earnings of $393,771.
Risk Tolerance , the 3-1 second choice in the morning line, was scratched during the warmups by the track veterinarian, reducing the field to six.
🏆Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2)
1.800 m – 200.000 USD – for 3yo
🇺🇸 Belmont At The Big ALegend Of Time (GB)
(3C Sea The Stars-Kissable, by Danehill Dancer)
J :Joel Rosario
T :Charles Appleby
O :Godolphin pic.twitter.com/221xZJTfR5— 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 (@WorldRacing1) May 25, 2024
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