Can Time Test fill Flintshire's shoes?

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Last year, Juddmonte Farms sent a top-class turf horse to trainer Chad Brown, and the horse went on to win two Grade 1 races in the United States and was crowned champion turf male.

Flintshire has since been retired and is standing stud at Hill ‘n Dale Farm in Kentucky.

This year, Juddmonte has sent Brown another top-class turf horse in Time Test, who is eyeing the Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy at Belmont Park on May 6 for his seasonal debut. On Sunday, Time Test looked sensational in a half-mile workout in 47.90 seconds over the Palm Meadows turf course. It was the fastest of 18 moves at the distance.

Time Test was under a hammerlock from his exercise rider as he stormed home in under 23 seconds for the final quarter before galloping out five furlongs in 59.62.

“He does things so easily so far,” Brown said.

Time Test has not started since winning the Group 2 York Stakes last July, beating Mondialiste, who came out of that race to win the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

Time Test, a son of Dubawi previously trained by Roger Charlton, is a five-time group stakes winner. He has run once in the U.S., finishing eighth behind Tepin in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in 2015.

Also working for Brown on Sunday was Almanaar, a gelding by Dubawi who overcame trouble to win the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. Almanaar went five furlongs in 1:00.45, with a final quarter of 23.34 seconds. He is pointing to the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby card.