Despite impressive win, Russell non-committal to Met Mile with Post Time
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Last weekend, Maryland-bred superstar Post Time made his long-awaited 5-year-old debut at Laurel and gave his hometown fans a show. By some quirk of the condition book, the two-time graded stakes winner was eligible for a conditional allowance and easily overwhelmed the field in a 13 1/4-length victory.
The runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile was adding blinkers off a long layoff, so trainer Brittany Russell wanted to find a soft spot for him to return. Because he was running away at will in the stretch, it was hard for her to tell if the equipment change had an effect, but jockey Sheldon Russell gave a glowing report after the race.
“You would think that he should probably win that race pretty easily,” the trainer said. “That’s what you would expect, that’s how he does it. Sheldon had nothing but good to say. He said that the blinkers worked. It was time [for the blinkers] and it worked.”
Post Time’s natural next start would likely be the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga on June 7. Post Time ran in the race last year and finished second behind National Treasure. But Russell said that she was not yet sure about taking that leap so early in his 5-year-old campaign.
When Russell entered Post Time in the Met Mile last year, his season was in full swing. He had already won the Grade 3 General George and Grade 2 Carter earlier in the year, and his last start before the race was a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Westchester. If he returns to Saratoga this year, it will be his second start back after an allowance victory at Laurel.
If Russell intends to ease Post Time back to the Grade 1 level, she may have to go out of her way to find another prep race. In addition to the Met Mile on the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival card, the trainer said that she was looking at the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on June 14. She also mentioned the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park on May 26.
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