Woodford Racing's Timeline (Hard Spun) took his record to a perfect four-for-four with an effortless victory in the GIII betfair.com Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park Sunday. The 'TDN Rising Star', in a three-way skirmish for the lead in the early strides, assumed control going into the first turn. He was well in hand through fractions of :23.70 and :47.07 and Javier Castellano was still sitting chilly on the heavy favorite at the top of the lane after three-quarters in 1:10.64. The handsome chestnut never looked in any danger down the stretch as he sailed clear with only Talk Logistics (High Cotton) providing a hint of a challenge. Timeline completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.32, just one second off the track record of 1:40.20 set by Formal Gold in 1997.
“He was brilliant again,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “There was a chance he would wind up on the lead. Ultimately, I just left it up to Javier. He rode a terrific race, as always.”
Castellano added, “I used him a little out of the gate to just get him going. I loved the way he did it today because when I asked him early, he didn't rush. He just galloped along on the lead. He handled the track so well. He's a very nice horse.”
A debut winner over a fast track at Gulfstream Mar. 4, Timeline earned Rising Star status with a devastating 13 1/2-length victory over a sloppy Aqueduct surface Apr. 6. He made the jump to stakes company with aplomb, winning a sloppy renewal of the GII Peter Pan S. at Belmont May 13.
Pedigree Notes:
Timeline is the first foal out of Azorina (Empire Maker), a daughter of 1998 GI Go For Wand H. winner Aldiza (Storm Cat). Both mares were bred and raced by Helen Alexander, Dorothy Matz and Helen Groves. Azorina is a half-sister to graded stakes placed Alchemist (A.P. Indy), the dam of graded winner Far From Over (Blame) and multiple Grade I placed And Why Not (Street Cry {Ire}), and also a half to graded winner Altesse (A.P. Indy). The winner's third dam Aishah (Alydar), bred and raced by Alexander, Aykroyd and Groves, won the 1990 GII Rare Perfume S. This is also the family of champion Althea and MGSW Atelier and traces back to blue-hen Courtly Dee. Now eight, Azorina, who failed to hit the board in two starts, has an unraced juvenile filly named Mrs Hughes (Into Mischief) and a yearling colt by Hard Spun. Her 2017 Hard Spun foal died.
Woodford Racing, the partnership group launched by Lane's End's Bill Farish, also campaigns 2017 graded stakes winner Ticonderoga (Tapit), as well as Catapult (Kitten's Joy), fourth in Sunday's GIII Poker S. at Belmont Park.
Sunday, Monmouth Park
BETFAIR.COM PEGASUS S.-GIII, $99,000, MTH, 6-18, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:41.32, ft.
1–TIMELINE, 123, c, 3, by Hard Spun&log=">Hard Spun
1st Dam: Azorina, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Aldiza, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Aishah, by Alydar
'TDN Rising Star' ($500,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Woodford
Racing, LLC; B-Alexander, Groves & Matz, LLC (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown; J-Javier Castellano. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0,
$243,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-training-grad”][bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Talk Logistics, 116, c, 3, High Cotton–Alotofappeal, by Trippi.
($100,000 2yo '16 OBSAPR). O-Hardway Stables; B-Ocala Stud
& Edward Wiest (FL); T-Edward Plesa, Jr.. $20,000.
3–Honor the Fleet, 116, c, 3, To Honor and Serve–Afleet Lass,
by Northern Afleet. ($13,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $40,000 2yo '16
EASMAY). O-Frank V. Demarco; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds
Ltd. (KY); T-Louis Albertrani. $10,000.[bullet ad=”gainesway-bred-consigned”][bullet ad=”gainesway-sales”]Margins: 3HF, 13 1/4, NO. Odds: 0.10, 6.20, 8.20.
Also Ran: Glory Stars, Greek Prince. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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