POST TIME wins the General George Stakes G3

Started and conditioned for racing at the Aiken Taring Track by Cary Frommer
Courtesy of the BloodHorse

Post Time  made the leap to graded company in stylish fashion, taking the $200,000 General George Stakes (G3) in a powerful late-rallying victory. The win gave trainer Brittany Russell and her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, back-to-back stakes scores Feb. 17 at Laurel Park following their win in the Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3).

A Maryland-bred son of Frosted  , Post Time had garnered some attention on the Midlantic circuit with his 6 1/2-length romp in the one-mile Jennings Stakes against state-breds Jan. 28 at Laurel Park. The 4-year-old was no secret to the railbirds around Laurel, as the colt headed into the General George a perfect 6-for-6 over the Maryland oval, with his lone career defeat being a third-place finish in Keeneland‘s Perryville Stakes last October.

Sheldon Russell kept Post Time calm and collected in fifth position early as fellow Maryland-bred Seven’s Eleven  rolled through fractions of :23.81 and :46.61. Circling five-wide around the final turn, Post Time ignited a relentless drive to the wire, tearing into Seven’s Eleven’s lead with every stride.

Barreling past the pacesetter at the sixteenth pole, Post Time surged to the finish three lengths in front in 1:23.33 for seven furlongs on a fast main track. The final time was nearly two seconds faster than it took older fillies and mares to run in the Barbara Fritchie Stakes earlier on the card.

Seven’s Eleven, second to Post Time in the Jennings, played the bridesmaid once again with a runner-up finish over 24-1 shot Tenebris  in third.

Running for the colors of Hillwood Stable, who were winning their third General George following Bandbox  (2014) and Cordmaker  (2022) Post Time ($2.60) upped his bankroll to $417,910 with his fourth black-type win.

“I’d say we were a little worried shortening back up to the seven-eighths. There wasn’t a whole lot of lightning-fast speed in the race, so my goal was to keep him close enough. I felt like he traveled good. If anything, I felt like we had to rush him a little bit but once I got him clear at the eighth pole he spurted clear and showed his true class,” said Sheldon Russell