On Time Girl overcomes troublesome trip for powerful score in Forward Gal
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – On Time Girl became a Grade 3 winner for the first time and got a whale of an education in the process, overcoming an eventful trip to ultimately register a convincing three-length victory over Imperatrice Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $175,000 Forward Gal Stakes. The win was the fourth on the card for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
On Time Girl was forwardly placed during the early stages of the seven-furlong Forward Gal before getting squeezed back and steadied between horses on the far turn. Ortiz was forced to bide his time on the favorite when caught behind the early leaders approaching and into the stretch before finally finding a seam at the top of the lane.
Ortiz then angled On Time Girl out toward the better footing near the center of the track, the pair readily overtaking Imperatrice near midstretch, drawing off with complete authority at the end. The latter prompted the pace outside horses from the outset, edged clear while kept far off the rail in early stretch but proved no match for the winner. Sneaky Good loomed boldly while widest of all leaving the turn but was unable to sustain her bid, finishing a neck farther back in third.
Both On Time Girl and Sneaky Good are trained by Brad Cox.
On Time Girl, a daughter of Not This Time owned by Albaugh Family Stables, earned 20 qualifying points for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks by virtue of her victory in the Forward Gal. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:24.59 (82 Beyer Speed Figure) and paid $4.20.
“She kind of got into a little bit of a tight spot going into the turn and lost a little position but overall, she responded well,” said Cox. “It’s something we hadn’t seen from her before. She was a stakes winner but she definitely overcame some adversity today. And the way she finished today gives us confidence to think she might be able to get a little more ground.”
Cox mentioned the one-mile, Grade 3 Davona Dale here on Feb. 29 as a possible option for On Time Girl’s next start.
“If the Davona Dale was mile and one-sixteenth, we’d give it a shot but it’s a mile and it is back in four weeks,” Cox offered. “There’s not a tremendous amount of options for her here moving forward unless you just wait for the Gulfstream Park Oaks [Grade 2 on March 28]."
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