On Time Girl Gets Back On Track in Eight Belles

On Time Girl got back to her winning ways in the $680,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) May 1 at Churchill Downs. Trainer Brad Cox could have run her in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) later on the card, but was rewarded for keeping her at her preferred distance of 7 furlongs. A homebred for Albaugh Family Stables, the 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time broke midpack and settled toward the back of the field, while French Friction set opening fractions of :22.55 and :45.48. On Time Girl continued to race under a comfortable hold from jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. down the backstretch, waiting to make her move. She came wide on the turn for home, but picked off her competition one by one. She hit the stretch a half-length in front, and held off a late rally from Luv Your Neighbor to score by 1 1/2 lengths on the wire in a final time of 1:22.16. As the post-time favorite, she paid $5.92. "We got a beautiful trip," Ortiz said. "We were a little wide around the turn, but she really responded when I asked for her best. She is a nice filly." The Michael Stidham trainee Luv Your Neighbor finished second after she tried to collar On Time Girl with her rail bid under jockey Luis Saez at odds of 11-1. Cox's other entry Paradise, who was on the board at odds of 9-1, finished third. The 2-1 second choice in the race, Steve Asmussen's Goodall, who was jumping into graded company for the first time, finished fifth after she bumped with rivals in the lane and weakened. On Time Girl jumped onto the Road to the Kentucky Oaks when she won the Jan. 31 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. She was then entered into the Feb. 28 Davona Dale Stakes (G2), where she finished a distant third as the odds-on favorite. While she earned 35 Kentucky Oaks points and could have been entered, her connections opted to keep her sprinting. "We asked her to stretch out in distance, and she gave us an honest effort," Cox said. "I think one turn is what she's best at right now. Going down the backside, I was confident. She ran a big race today." This victory marks Cox's fourth win in the Eight Belles, after previously winning with Benner Island, Break Even, and Matareya. In the race named after the late Eight Belles, who finished a courageous second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1), the top three finishers, On Time Girl, Luv Your Neighbor, and Paradise, all had enough points toward the Kentucky Oaks, but connections chose to stay at one turn and reaped the benefits.