It’s Post Time for Russell in Whitney Stakes

By Tim Wilkin

SARATOGA SPINGS, N.Y. – It’s ‘Post Time’ for the 97th running of the $1-million GI Whitney Stakes.

Well, actually, the race is still a week away, but if you are trainer Brittany Russell, you’re darn right it’s Post Time.

As in Post Time (Frosted), the 4-year-old colt that will make a return trip to Saratoga Race Course. Last month, Post Time, owned by Hillwood Stable, LLC, won the race for second in the GI Metropolitan Handicap. Post Time beat Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) by a neck.

No one was going to beat National Treasure (Quality Road), who won the Met Mile by 6 1/4 lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Assuming National Treasure goes in the Whitney–Baffert said he would make a final decision after his colt works Sunday in California–Russell would welcome the chance for the rematch.

“National Treasure is a very good horse,” Russell said by phone from Maryland. “We are going to have to really put our running shoes on. (National Treasure) will be hard to beat. We will show up and we’ll give it our best.”

Post Time, a Maryland-bred, has eight wins, two seconds and a third in 11 career starts. The Met Mile was his first start in Grade I company. He has a pair of graded stakes wins on his resume in the GII Carter Stakes at Aqueduct and the GIII General George Stakes at Laurel.

Russell knows that when she gives a leg up to her husband/jockey Sheldon Russell, she is going to get the absolute best that Post Time has. He has never disappointed her.

“He is just a good, honest horse,” Brittany Russell said. “He loves his job, he trains, he doesn’t miss a beat. He just shows up to the track and does his work every day. Sometimes we wonder if we are doing enough with him.”

Post Time had his final Whitney work Saturday at the Fair Hill Training Center, going four furlongs in :49 (7/28) with Russell’s assistant Emma Wolfe on board.

“He went very good,” Russell said. “He’s ready to go.”

And he will go to Saratoga on Tuesday. Russel said that Wolfe will accompany Post Time on the trip to the Spa and expects that he will go to the track on Wednesday.