Timeless Curls, Hamilton prove winning combo again
Jockey Wes Hamilton showed the poise that has made him an Eclipse Award finalist for apprentice jockey by winning his second career stakes in the $100,000 Nellie Morse at Laurel Park on Saturday.
Timeless Curls took Hamilton to the lead in the 1 1/16-mile Nellie Morse, but when even-money favorite Face It came up on their outside approaching the backstretch Hamilton let her go and settled Timeless Curls into second position. Timeless Curls rebid for the lead outside Face It on the far turn as four horses stacked up across the track and she came away with the lead entering the stretch.
Timeless Curls proved clearly best, pulling away to a 3 3/4-length lead with Hamilton not asking her for much late. The win was the fifth for Timeless Curls in her last six starts, all with Hamilton aboard.
The race was the stakes debut for Timeless Curls, who is trained by Hamilton's main benefactor, Dale Capuano.
"She's a hard-knocking filly," Hamilton said. "She always tries so hard. I'd just like to thank Dale and everyone who has been helping me."
Capuano and Hamilton are now 49 for 164 together, a win average just under 30 percent. The Nellie Morse was their second together on the Saturday card.
"He works real hard and he listens," Capuano said of Hamilton.
Capuano entered Timeless Curls in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park on Dec. 29, but chose to wait for the Nellie Morse and scratched her.
"She'd been training very well for this," Capuano said. "We scratched her a couple of weeks ago. She had a bad post and we thought we'd give her more time. Thankfully, it paid off."
Timeless Curls is now 5 for 9. She is owned by Sookdeen "Paul" Pasram, who purchased her for $35,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September sale.
Timeless Curls paid $5 to win Saturday and was timed in 1:43.66.
Mzima Springs, who made a bold four-wide bid to contention while four wide on the far turn, finished second, a neck in front of third-place Enthrall. Face It began to back up before reaching the quarter pole and finished last in the five-horse field.
