Not This Time puts freshman sires into the win column, twice

Last week was the time for Not This Time. A graded stakes-winning juvenile himself, Not This Time got off to a fast start with two first-crop winners in as many days, taking command of the North American freshman sire list early. Through Sunday, no other freshman stallion in this region had yet recorded a winner.

Not This Time, who stands at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., was represented by his first winner from his second starter last Thursday at Churchill Downs, as his daughter Hopeful Princess outdueled the well-regarded American Pharoah filly Mad Maddy to win by three-quarters of a length. The filly, who is out of the More Than Ready mare More Than Magic, finished the 4 1/2 furlongs of Kentucky’s first 2-year-old race of the season in 51.26 seconds. Hopeful Princess is trained by John Hancock and races for the partnership of Donna Hancock, Jackie Huckaby of breeder Elm Tree Farm, and Imaginary Stables.

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One day later, Not This Time’s Swaggy George drew in to an off-the-turf maiden race at Gulfstream Park for J Stables and trainer Antonio Sano. The colt, who is out of the Elusive Quality mare Ottaviano, drew off to win by four lengths. He finished the five furlongs in a minute flat. Not This Time’s other starter, Screen Star, also had been active at Gulfstream, finishing eighth in a maiden race May 9.

Not This Time was a 10-length maiden winner at Ellis Park in his second career start before winning the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs by eight lengths. He then was beaten a neck by divisional champion Classic Empire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

That proved to be his final career start, as he was retired due to a soft-tissue injury. The stallion covered 145 mares in his first season at stud, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred. That book was highlighted by Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream of Summer, dam of classic-placed Grade 1-winning millionaire Creative Cause, classic-placed Grade 2 winner Destin, and Grade 3 winner Vexatious. All three are by Giant’s Causeway, the sire of Not This Time. To the cover of Not This Time, Dream of Summer produced a filly named Hippie Cowgirl, who was consigned by Taylor Made to the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale, where she was purchased for $200,000 by Casner Racing. Overall, Not This Time averaged $63,746 from 68 yearlings sold at public auction last year, more than four times their conception stud fee of $15,000.

Not This Time’s second book of 129 mares in 2018 included a major endorsement in Broodmare of the Year Leslie’s Lady, dam of four-time Eclipse Award champion Beholder, Grade 1 winner and leading sire Into Mischief, and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn. Her inclusion in his book was all the more notable because the stakes-winning mare was 23 when she delivered the resulting filly. Breeder Clarkland Farm intends to retain the resulting filly, Marr Time.

Not This Time is out of the Grade 3-winning Trippi mare Miss Macy Sue, making him a half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map and to stakes winner Taylor S. Liam’s Map was fourth on last year’s freshman earnings list, with a pair of Grade 1 winners from his first crop in Wicked Whisper and Basin.