Wynn Time returns at full steam after seven-month break

From a speed-figure standpoint, at least, the Illinois-bred sprinter Wynn Time was as good Thursday following a seven-month layoff as he was at his peak last spring. Wynn Time got a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for running six furlongs in 1:09.68 while winning the $75,000 Thanksgiving Handicap at Fair Grounds by one length. Wynn Time’s top figures last March and April at Oaklawn Park were 100 and 101.

Wynn Time missed a work with a fever after shipping to Fair Grounds earlier this month, but still was adequately fit to let his talent shine in his first start back from the long break.

“He wasn’t overly tired this morning,” said trainer Hugh Robertson on Friday. Robertson trains Wynn Time for his breeder, John Mentz. “I guess he’s a pretty good horse.”

Wynn Time, beginning with his career debut in August 2017 and running through the Count Fleet at Oaklawn in April, had eight races in nine months when Robertson and Mentz decided to give the horse a break to point for a fall, winter, and spring campaign. Robertson said he’ll probably run Wynn Time back Jan. 13 at Fair Grounds in the $75,000 Duncan Kenner Stakes, which is both the next older-horse dirt-sprint stakes this Fair Grounds meet and the last such race of the season. No worries – if all goes well, there are plenty of lucrative Oaklawn Park races for Wynn Time in 2019, though Robertson said he never likes to look that far ahead.

In the shorter term, Robertson has race 4 on Sunday at Fair Grounds to look forward to. That’s the spot for second-time starter Smila’ssenseofsnow, a smart debut winner Sept. 8 at Arlington. Robertson also owns Smila’ssenseofsnow, a 2-year-old Trappe Shot filly who got a 74 Beyer for a four-length Polytrack sprint score at Arlington. She runs Sunday in a first-level allowance also open to $50,000 claimers and carded for about 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

“She probably should be okay on the grass,” Robertson said. “The Trappe Shots usually run equally on dirt, grass, poly.”

Smila’ssenseofsnow had a brief illness after moving from Arlington to Hawthorne earlier this fall, but has otherwise gotten into a good rhythm since her first start.

“She was always a pretty big horse.,” Robertson said. “She’s about the same now as in her first start, but she’s taken it all pretty well. She didn’t get rattled or anything by the race.”

The Sunday feature is race 8, a second-level filly-and-mare turf-sprint allowance with a $40,000 claiming option.