Split Time takes the prize in Maddie May

By Sarah Mace

Tic Stables’ Split Time (Take Charge Indy) made her stakes debut a winning one at Aqueduct on Saturday when she overcame a tricky trip to win the one-mile, $100,000 Maddie May Stakes for New York-bred sophomore fillies by a half-length.

A solid runner-up in a sprint debut at Aqueduct on December 6, the Linda Rice-trainee stretched out to a mile in her next two starts, winning the pair by a combined 11 1/2 lengths from just off the pace. On January 18 she beat state-bred maidens and on February 16 got the better of first-level state-bred allowance runners. Bet down to even money Saturday, Split Time had the services of jockey Junior Alvarado, who piloted her to both victories.

Following a good start, Split Time settled in fourth in the pocket along the backstretch, while Under Suspicion pressed by Breezy Gal carved out early fractions of 23.45 and 46.97. Our Super Nova raced on even terms with Split Time.

Once the field rounded the far turn and the first six furlongs ticked by in 1:12.83, Split Time and Alvarado were still penned in at the fence and would soon be in need of running room.

With the rail route proving too narrow after brief window of opportunity opened in upper stretch, and Our Super Nova on her way to overhauling pacesetter two-wide, Alvarado had to guide Split Time multiple paths off the fence to get to the outside of both main rivals.

In the clear in late stretch, Split Time set her sights on new leader Our Super Nova and ran her rival down in the final jumps to score a nifty half-length victory in a final time of 1:38.50. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Our Super Nova in second finished 3 1/2 lengths in advance of Cause We are Loyal, who closed from last into third, leaving Under Suspicion to settle for forth. Breezy Gal, also from the Rice barn, completed the order of finish.

“It was an interesting trip,” commented Rice. “Split Time is very tactical and I thought she has more natural speed than [my other filly Breezy Gal]. I just told them whoever breaks well needs to take it and the other needs to sit off of it and settle. Split Time unfortunately was kind of in an uncomfortable spot the entire race and I was happy she finally wheeled to the outside and got up.”

Alvarado also commented on having to resort to “Plan B.” “Coming into the race, my plan was to follow Dylan [Davis] aboard [Breezy Gal] but when he didn’t initially send her, the plan had to change. By the five-sixteenths pole I was still a half-length inside and I didn’t see him move, so I had to wait a little bit longer than I wanted. It got more complicated than I would have liked, but I was still able to make another move and she was just so much the best.”

Split Time was purchased by Rice from the Sequel consignment for $62,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale. From three wins and a second, she has already earned $138,200, and her conditioner is high on the filly’s prospects.

“[Split Time]’s a nice filly. We bought her as a yearling in Saratoga and she’s won three in a row now, so we’re really excited. She had some great, easy trips in her two previous wins. Today, I was pretty impressed with her grittiness. She had a difficult trip the entire race and was never in a comfortable spot, but she managed to swing out and kick home.”

Alvarado, who has come to know Split Time pretty well by now, echoed the sentiments. “She has the class. She didn’t get the best of trips but she still showed how good she is to overcome it. In the late stretch, [Super Nova] started drifting but she was just running her race. It wasn’t anything drastic. It just made things interesting for a little while until my filly really geared down. The only difference is I had the best horse. She’s an amazing filly. Ever since Linda stretched her out to a mile, it seems like the distance suits her perfectly.”

Bred by Sequel Stallions New York LLC and foaled at Sequel’s farm in Hudson, Split Time comes from a productive New York-bred family. Her winning dam Speed Dating, out of Near and Dear, is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and $693,500-earner Saratoga Snacks. Speed Dating has an unnamed 2-year-old Alpha colt, a yearling Freud filly named Afreud of a Strorm and was bred back to the same stallion in 2017.

 

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/03/24/split-time-maddie-may/

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