Training Track Graduate News

POST TIME was selected and started by Cary Frommer
Courtesy of the TDN
Post Time was head and shoulders above the field for the Polynesian Stakes, and his class sparkled on Saturday. The 4year-old put together a solid NYRA campaign after he was last seen at Laurel winning the GIII General George Stakes in midFebruary. Sent off as the favorite in the GII Carter Stakes, Post Time won by a neck at Aqueduct Apr. 6, then was the runner-up in the GIII Westchester Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meet May 3. Playing in the big leagues upstate, the grey was the runner-up behind National Treasure (Quality Road) in the GI Met Mile June 8 and finished third to Arthur’s Ride (Tapit) in the GI Whitney Stakes Aug. 3. Slammed at the windows at five cents on the dollar here, the chalk was in no hurry early as a pair zoomed off to set the pace up the backstretch. Post Time steadily gained ground heading into the far turn, opened up the floodgates at the eighth pole and ran up the score from there.
The winner’s dam is responsible for unraced 2-year-old filly Field Song and she was sent to Tapit for next term.

Started at the Aiken Training Track by Cary Frommer and sold for $250,000
Courtesy of the TDN
2nd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-10, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.05, ft, 4 lengths.
BANNED FOR LIFE (c, 3, Maximus Mischief–Daddy’s Diva, by Scat Daddy) debuted in third place over the slop at Fair Grounds in mid-February. The bay finished fourth at Keeneland Apr. 6, and then in a trio of attempts under the Twin Spires was the runner-up May 4, fifth June 2 and third June 30. Backed as a 3-1 shot here, the colt tracked just to outside up the backstretch of Hurricane Nelson (Khozan). The 3-year-old tackled his target around the far turn and at the sixteenth pole he passed his rival to win by four lengths.

A half-sister to MGSP Empire of Gold (Goldencents), the winner’s unraced dam is responsible for a 2-year-old filly by Audible, a yearling filly by McKinzie and she foaled a colt by Audible May 5. Daddy’s Diva was bred to Banned for Life’s sire for next term.
Sales History: $25,000 Wlg ’21 KEENOV; $72,000 Ylg ’22 EASOCT; $250,000 2yo ’23 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 6-1-1-2, $106,625.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC
B-Respect the Valleys, LLC (KY);
T-Albert M. Stall, Jr.

Courtesy of the TDN
Trained at the Aiken Training track – started by Cary Frommer

Post Time | Sarah Andrew

SUMMER WHIRL (Arrogate) has been on the board in her previous two starts and today she made a very dramatic move to break her maiden by a neck. Racing a mile on the Saratoga inner turf, she was stuck on the rail until a dramatic shift to the outside at the top of the stretch gave her running room and she inhaled her competition. NY Bred SUMMER WHIRL was selected by Cary as a yearling at the Fasig Tipton NY Bred Sale. She is trained by Graham Motion for Hillwood Stable LLC.
Breeder: Hidden Lake Farm, LLC & 3C Stables, LLC

Courtesy of the TDN

SUMMER WHIRL (f, 3, Arrogate–Summer Shade, by Stephen Got Even), who debuted at the Belmont Festival at Saratoga with a third at 5 1/2 furlongs and followed that up with a second at the Belmont at the Big A meet July 5 going 8 1/2 panels, improved once again.

Off as the 2-1 favorite, she traveled midpack against the rail, inching gradually closer behind :24.01 and :49.02 fractions. Summer Whirl swung out dramatically off the turn while in search of clear running room and came flying late, just nipping pacesetter Autumn (Constitution) in the last stride to post a neck victory.

The winner is a half to Harmon (Cairo Prince), SP, $240,586; and to an unraced 2-year-old filly named Underbid Brittany (Vekoma), who sold at the FasigTipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale for $40,000 to Anthony Farrior. Summer Whirl | Sarah Andrew Dam Summer Shade, a half to MGSW Hot Summer (Malibu Moon), also has a yearling filly by American Pharoah.

Sales History: $170,000 Ylg ’22 SARAUG; $250,000 2yo ’23 OBSMAR; $225,000 2yo ’23 FTJUNE. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $74,700.  TV. O-Hillwood Stable LLC; B-Hidden Lake Farm, LLC & 3C Stables, LLC (NY); T-H. Graham Motion.

Cary Frommer prepped and sold SACRED WISH (Not This Time) at last spring’s  Fasig Tipton Timonium Sale. SACRED WISH broke her maiden at Oaklawn in her 2nd start last month. Stepping up into graded stakes company today, in the G2  Gulfstream Park Oaks, she finished a willing 2nd. She added a 2nd in the Coaching Club American Oaks (Gr. 1), a win in the Winter Memories Stakes a 2nd in the Pebbles Stakes (Gr. 3) and today an achingly close 2nd in the WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (Gr. 3).

The filly is owned by Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher T. Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola and was bred by John R. Penn (KY). She is trained by George Weaver.

He ran a closing second against a speed bias. He was selected by Cary Frommer and was started at the Aiken Training Track.

Son of Frosted captured this year’s Carter Stakes (G2).

• By Frank Angst

In delivering victory after victory while climbing the class ladder, Post Time  convinced trainer Brittany Russell the time is right for his grade 1 debut June 8 in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

The 4-year-old Maryland-bred son of record-breaking 2016 Met Mile winner Frosted   swept his three starts as a juvenile by a combined 12 1/2 lengths capped by a victory in the 2022 Maryland Juvenile Stakes. He then won two of three races last year including two more stakes scores, one in open company in the seven-furlong City of Laurel Stakes.

With four starts already under his belt this year for owner Hillwood Stable (Ellen Charles), Post Time has proved up to the challenge of graded stakes as he won the seven-furlong General George Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park before rallying to a narrow victory in the Carter Stakes (G2) April 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack. He’ll enter Saturday’s test off a runner-up finish in the one-mile Westchester Stakes (G3) May 3 at Aqueduct.

While the winning has been there from the start as Post Time has earned trips to the winner’s circle in eight of his 10 efforts and has never finished off the board, Russell said she’s seen more maturity in the strong start to 2024.

“He’s a better-seasoned horse this year. I think he’s more of a man rather than a boy, which is kind of what it felt like last fall,” Russell said. “This is going to be a true class test for him.

“We’ve tried him in some bigger spots and obviously he hasn’t yet run with the likes of the National Treasures and White Abarrios but I feel like when they’re doing good, you’ve got the races under them, and they’ve trained forwardly, it’s the time to try.”

Russell has enjoyed success in Maryland and just captured the short Pimlico Race Course spring meet training title with eight victories. At Saratoga, Russell has won five of 35 starts and captured the 2021 Tale of the Cat Stakes with Wondrwherecraigis . She’s looking for her first Saratoga graded stakes victory.

Post Time is scheduled to start from post 3 and is the 7-2 morning-line third choice in the Met Mile behind Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio  and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure .

Post Time, who arrived at Saratoga’s Barn 14 June 5, is capable of some quirkiness but once he’s to the track for racing or training, he focuses on the task.

“This morning (assistant trainer Emma Wolfe) gets a leg up on him and he goes out and he stands up and shows his belly a couple of times,” Russell said. “But then he steps down and he goes on about his business. He’s just a playful type of horse.

“He’s awesome. He’s a quirky horse and has a lot of personality. He’s been like that from the beginning. He has some antics, but he’s super professional. And he’s a very good training horse.”

Post Time was trained by Cary Frommer
Courtesy of the DRF

Maryland took center stage three weeks ago, with national attention on 15 stakes races, topped by the Preakness Stakes. But as the traveling circus of the Triple Crown moves to New York, Maryland comes along seeking a bit of the spotlight. The lightly raced and unbeaten Maryland-bred Mindframe runs in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga; two races prior, fellow statebred Post Time, a multiple graded stakes winner, starts in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.

There have only been two Maryland-bred winners of the Belmont Stakes in more than a century and a half – Cloverbrook in 1877 and Caveat in 1983. The Metropolitan Handicap has been a Grade 1 race since the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association took on that project in 1973; no Maryland-bred has won the historic race in that span.

Both Mindframe and Post Time are multi-generational products of prominent Maryland programs. Mindframe was bred by R. Larry Johnson before being purchased for $600,000 by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable out of the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale. The colt’s first three dams – Walk of Stars, Star Kell, and Special Kell – were all homebreds for Johnson. Mindframe’s fourth dam is Johnson’s foundation mare Ran’s Chick, purchased for $2,400 by the owner as a 2-year-old at a Timonium sale in 1978.

Post Time was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman, and frequent partner Milton P. Higgins III. Post Time is out of Vielsalm, also bred by the Bowmans, and the next dam is Merriweather, bred by the Bowmans with Higgins.

“With how challenging the breeding industry is, to see familiar names who have done this a long time be on the national radar, it’s a celebration,” said Cindy Deubler, a research specialist for the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Million, among other titles.

“And these breeding programs show the success from different approaches,” Deubler added. “The Bowmans generally breed to sell and have teamed up with Larry Johnson with great success in the past. Larry races many of his homebreds, so they often remain as part of his breeding program.”

Post Time, who has won 8 of 10 career starts, is based at Maryland’s Fair Hill Training Center with Brittany Russell. He was an $85,000 purchase by Cary Frommer out of the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale in Maryland, on behalf of the Hillwood Stable of Ellen Charles. A Met Mile victory for the current stable star would be the icing on the cake of a big spring for that longtime horsewoman and philanthropist. During Preakness week, Charles was honored with the Special Award of Merit, given to those who have made a positive impact on the racing industry, at the Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico.

Charles followed her mother, Adelaide Close Riggs, a supporter of Maryland’s breeding and racing industry for nearly 70 years, and father, Merrall MacNeille, whose roles in racing included 20 years as a steward in Maryland, into the sport. Charles has raced since 2004 as Hillwood, and Post Time joins graded stakes winners like Bandbox and Cordmaker and other standout statebreds like Hello Beautiful and Phlash Phelps in her stable’s history. Charles has sat on the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association’s board of directors, and currently serves on the MTHA’s finance and aftercare committees.

“Ellen Charles is an animal lover who adores her horses, and she’s dedicated to her stable of runners, broodmares, and retirees,” Deubler said. “She not only adds to the local industry, but is an example of doing things right by her horses.”

Hillwood Stable horses all start training in Aiken with Cry Frommer

Hillwood Stable’s Ellen Charles To Receive Special Award of Merit At Pimlico’s Alibi Breakfast May 16

POST TIME (Frosted) won the Carter G2 (downgraded this year from a G1) last out making it his 9th win from 10 starts – with half of them stakes races. He strutted his stuff in the big time with the Carter win. Racing back in the Westchester at a mile the come-from-behind specialist had just too much to make up and had to settle for the place.  POST TIME was started by Cary Frommer at the Aiken Training Track.