Back home at Laurel Park, trainer Brittany Russell fiercely clung to the hope that there was still time for Post Time to earn his fairytale ending. She didn’t know what that meant until her star 5-year-old was making his rounds for the final time on Saturday. “Today was really bittersweet,” Russell said. “With the anticipation of him running, we wanted him to win so bad. I don't think I realized how I would feel. As I watched him walk over, it hit me then.” Before the race, Russell was hesitant to admit that the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes would be the final start of Post Time’s career. With a stud career at the Northview Stallion Station looming in 2026, his racing days were clearly numbered. But the trainer didn’t want to frame the race as a farewell. It was about settling a score in the Maryland twilight. In October, Post Time’s historic 10-race undefeated streak at Laurel was finally snapped when Barbadian Runner scored a king-sized victory in the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic. Now a six-times stakes winner, the Henry Walters-trained gelding had never faced older rivals before. On his first attempt, he defeated one of the best Maryland-breds of the 21st century. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Russell was rocked by the loss, which came several weeks before the announcement that Post Time was to stand at stud in 2026. Many took the report as a retirement announcement, but Post Time was still at Fair Hill, and Russell held out hope that he would show signs that he was ready for another race. The Manfuso proved to be the perfect spot, a rematch with Barbadian Runner in the final stakes of the year for older horses at Laurel. “I felt like he deserved it,” Russell said. “I don't feel like we gave him the fairest shake in the Maryland Million, and when he got beat, I feel like people got down on him and we didn’t want him to go out like that.” Through several intense weeks of preparation, there was little time for Russell to contemplate, perhaps by design. Then the horse was on the track and in the starting gate and on the backstretch for the final time, and she finally understood. Jockey Sheldon Russell, near tears alongside his wife after the race, probably understood the moment a little sooner in the saddle. When he broke slowest in the field of five, he worked hard to keep Post Time in the mix, a minor error that might have cost the horse in the Maryland Million Classic. He started 11 lengths back in the Manfuso, but quickly got into better striking position on the backstretch, 3 1/2 lengths behind Barbadian Runner. Teachintherelese, a West Virginia-bred trained by Stephen Murdock, predictably went to the front through an opening quarter-mile in 23.90 seconds and a half-mile in 48.14. It was obvious that he was merely setting the table, however, as Barbadian Runner and Post Time were both sitting on massive moves near the back. In the Maryland Million Classic, Post Time was left spinning his wheels on the rail while Barbadian Runner surged forward on the outside. This time, jockey Forest Boyce chose the ground-saving option herself, slipping up the rail on the far turn to take a 1 1/2-length lead at the top of the stretch. Post Time, still lagging behind, tipped out three-wide and responded well when Russell urged him for more. In the end, the top pair cleared third-place finisher Pay Billy by 15 1/4 lengths. Barbadian Runner, willed forward in what may prove to be the race of his life, could not have been asked for much more in his repeat bid against an all-time great. But as the super-powered pair approached the wire, Post Time ran as if he knew it was the last, prevailing by 1 1/4 lengths. He paid $3.00 to win, completing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.54 and receiving a career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure. Sheldon Russell was up in his stirrups at the wire, looking back and pumping his fists in celebration. Ridden by Eric Camacho in his first three starts, Russell has ridden him in all 20 starts since. He was aboard for 10 of victories, including the Grade 3 General George and Grade 2 Carter in 2024. He was aboard at Del Mar when he finished second in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. At Laurel on Saturday, he bought himself a few more minutes aboard the horse of a lifetime, guiding him to the winner’s circle for one last photo. There were few dry eyes waiting for him. “Sheldon and I were just sitting here talking about it on the way home, retiring a horse healthy,” Brittany Russell said. “He’s still winning and running well, and you’ve got to let them go at the right time.” Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman, and Milton P. Higgins, Post Time won 13 races in 23 starts, including 11 at Laurel and seven in stakes. Racing for Hillwood Stable throughout his career, he earned nearly $1.6 million in career earnings. As the newest member of Maryland’s breeding program, he is sure to make much more in the near future. Surrounded by adoring fans, who braved the Maryland cold to see his final race, Post Time and his connections got one last chance to celebrate one of the best careers to grace the state in recent memory. At the very end of his run, the horse received his most meaningful rivalry, and as has been the case all along, he earned the final word. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.