C. K. Woods' Timo, thanks to a well-timed ride from Richard Migliore, defeated Icy Atlantic by a nose in the $250,900 Kent Breeders' Cup (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds on the turf at Delaware Park Saturday.
The 3-year-old son of
El Prado tagged the pacesetting Icy Atlantic, with C.C. Lopez aboard in the final strides in a time of 1:55 3/5 for the 1 1/8 mile on soft going. It was 1 1/4 lengths further back to Commendation, ridden by Ramon Dominguez.
Master David, the 9-to-5 favorite in a field of eight with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard, finished sixth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths. Master David was making his first start on the grass in the United States for trainer Bobby Frankel.
Timo returned $7.80, $4.20 and $3.20. Icy Atlantic paid $5.80 and $4.40 and Commendation was $3.60 to show.
Timo, a Kentucky bred trained by William Badgett Jr., won his fourth – and with a winning purse of $150,000, his richest – turf stakes. Previously, he had won the Transylvania (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland, The Mecke Stakes at Calder, and the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont. His career record is now five wins, three seconds, and a third from ten starts with earnings of $407,000.
Badgett is eyeing Saratoga for Timo.
"I am thinking maybe Saratoga and the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (August 9)," he said. "I will plan it out. I kind of ran him back quick off his last race, so he I might just give him a little time and the race in Saratoga fits because it is in five weeks."
Fourth with a furlong to go, Migliore was impressed with what Timo overcame to win.
"He overcame a tough trip and gave it 110 percent," he said.
Bridgmohan, aboard the favorite Master David, said they had some trouble handling the wet turf
"I think so," Bridgmohan said. "The first part of it. I had to peck
at him to just get him a spot. He broke and he just wanted to flop out there. I had to give him a little nudge leaving the gate and the whole way down the backstretch. So I had to just kind of peck at him to get him up in the bridle a little bit."
(Chart,
Equibase)
