Burning Time Smokes Foolish Pleasure Rivals

Harold Queen’s Florida-bred 2-year-old colt Burning Time got his first stakes win on Saturday at Calder Casino & Race Course in the $88,100 Foolish Pleasure Stakes.  

Trained by David Fawkes and ridden by Luis Saez, Burning Time sped past the pacesetting Personal Interest in the final furlong of the mile and 70 yards Foolish Pleasure, winning by 2 ½ lengths and getting the distance in 1:45.20.  Bartolome finished 3 ¼ lengths behind Personal Interest.

At the mutuel windows, Burning Time paid $14.20, $5.40, and $7.00.  Personal Interest returned $7.20 and $7.00, and Bartolome paid $4.20 to show.

Winning trainer’s quotes:

David Fawkes  (by phone from Charles Town) – “When he had that bad race in the Stallion Stake (second in the Dr. Fager), he broke awful and never had a chance. I can’t blame it on the sloppy track that day. Although he wasn’t technically a maiden going into today’s race – he got put up in his first race after finishing second – it was like Little Drama, who broke his maiden in a stakes, and they’re both by Burning Roma. He’ll go on to the ($300,000-est.) In Reality (Oct. 15) from here.”

Winning jockey’s quotes:

Luis Saez – “This horse broke his maiden today; he’s still learning how to run.  He gets a little green in the stretch, but I learned from riding him last time to keep him busy and focused in the stretch and that made the difference.  He is definitely improving, so I think he can be very tough next time in the Florida Stallion Stakes (In Reality Division).”