Timeless Fashion enjoys his holidays

Horses-for-courses are fairly common. But Timeless Fashion this year has established himself as a horse for the holidays.

A 5-year-old synthetic and turf specialist based in Kentucky with trainer Thomas Drury, Timeless Fashion won the Dust Commander on Turfway Park's Polytrack on Valentine's Day and shipped to Mountaineer Racetrack to capture the Independence Day, a one-mile turf race, on July 4.

Timeless Fashion returns to Mountaineer and attempts to make it 3 for 3 on holidays when he faces 10 other turf runners in the co-featured $75,000 Labor Day Stakes.

The Labor Day and the $75,000 Summer Finale Handicap for fillies and mares will both be contested at a mile and 70 yards as the first two races on a card that begins at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The lightly raced Timeless Fashion, 5 for 9 lifetime, has been off since scoring by 1 3/4 lengths at 6-1 in the Independence Day. He will be spotting his rivals between three and 17 pounds as the 121-pound highweight and will be ridden by James Lopez for the first time.

Six of his last seven Beyer Speed Figures have been in the narrow range of 89 to 93.

Guardianofthenorth and Leading On, who both finished within 2 1/4 lengths of Timeless Fashion in the Independence Day, are back to test him again.

The 8-year-old Guardianofthenorth, who nosed out Leading On for third when they met on July 4 and is 7 for 11 lifetime on Mountaineer's turf course, tuned up for this spot by earning a career-best 89 Beyer beating $50,000 claimers Aug. 23.

Leading On, a two-time winner on turf at a mile earlier this season, has been off five weeks since failing to fire following a wide trip in the West Virginia Speaker's Cup.

Also meriting respect are Cryptolight, second in the Speaker's Cup and third in the Memorial Day Handicap; Encaustic, who won while making his first start on grass since 2007 last time out at Laurel Park; and Vanquisher, third in a pair of Grade 3 stakes at Gulfstream Park last winter. Vanquisher is cross-entered in Sunday's Grade 3, $175,000 Red Bank at Monmouth Park.

* The Summer Finale features a rematch between Beautiful Venue and Hungry Tigress, the one-two finishers in the one-mile Firecracker on July 4.

Beautiful Venue defeated Hungry Tigress by 1 1/2 lengths two months ago, but finished 6 1/4 lengths behind her as the 2-1 favorite in the West Virginia Senate President's on Aug. 1.

The field also includes Allnightdance, who won this race a year ago but has not raced since April, and Happiness Is, who has been off since earning a career-high 92 Beyer for winning the $100,000 Lady Canterbury by a nose on July 25.