With New York-bred stakes win accomplished, Excellent Timing might hunt bigger game
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Excellent Timing rewarded the restraint his connections showed by not rushing him onto the Triple Crown trail with a 6 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds.
Now his high-profile owners, led by Michael Dubb, and trainer Chad Brown will have decisions to make on how to proceed with the promising son of Not This Time, who is now 2 for 3.
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Excellent Timing won in front-running fashion and was under wraps by Manny Franco in the final sixteenth. He covered seven furlongs in 1:28.02 – running into the wind down the backside – and was assigned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.
Dubb, who was at Aqueduct on Sunday, said all options would be considered for Excellent Timing’s next start, but that he would rely on Brown’s guidance after the horse resumes training. One option could be the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan on May 8 at Belmont.
“This time of year, everybody throws 3-year-olds to the wolves,” Dubb, who was in town to celebrate his 65th birthday on Monday, said following the race. “We just decided this is a New York-bred, he could have a nice, long career, let’s develop the horse the right way and not get him where maybe he loses a race and loses interest. We want to get him used to winning. Once we do that, if we want to go to open company we can.”
Excellent Timing’s victory was one of three on the card for Brown. He won a first-level allowance race with the 4-year-old Mystic Night, who earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure. Brown also won a maiden race with the 4-year-old Hometown, a private purchase by Dubb with partners New Guys Racing and Bethlehem Stables.
Hometown, who earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory, is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Dancing Rags and to Coup de Grace. Brown trained Coup de Grace for his first five starts, during which he won the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct.