Laurel Park: Post Time, Apple Picker make grade for Russells

Multiple stakes winner Post Time, cutting back to a sprint just three weeks after a career-best performance going one mile, overcame the quick turnaround and shorter trip with aplomb to register a 3 1/2-length triumph in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 General George Stakes for 4-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs at Laurel Park.

Owned by Hillwood Stable, Post Time ($2.60) completed a graded sweep for trainer Brittany Russell and her husband jockey Sheldon Russell.  Thirty minutes earlier they captured the Barbara Fritchie (G3) with Apple Picker.

Click here for Laurel Park entries and results.

“It started off slow, but it’s been a great day,” Brittany Russell said.

For owner Ellen Charles it was her third win in the General George following Bandbox in 2014 and Cordmaker in 2022. It was the fifth graded win for Brittany Russell, who picked up her first Grade 1 victory in the 2023 Carter with Doppleganger, and seventh graded triumph for Sheldon Russell, whose most recent had come in the 2022 BWI Turf Cup (G3) with Set Piece.

“I’m very happy to get this graded-stakes win for Ellen. She’s been wonderful to me and Brittany, so he’s a special horse,” Sheldon Russell said. “He’s a really cool horse to ride, and on numbers he’s getting better and better, so hopefully, he stays healthy, and we can have some fun with him this year.”

Nimitz Class, a winner of four consecutive Laurel stakes over the winter of 2022-23, broke alertly but was outrun for the lead by fellow multiple stakes winner Seven’s Eleven through splits of 23.81 and 46.61 seconds. Meanwhile, Post Time led only Grade 3 winner Greeley and Ben midway up the backstretch and was between Greeley and Ben and No Cents leaving the far turn as Brittany Russell watched anxiously.

“Yeah, 100 percent. I was like, ‘Oh, God.’ But you know what? He’s Post Time, and he gets it done. He’s a racehorse,” Brittany Russell said. “Running him back in three weeks, seven-eighths, the whole thing wasn’t perfect, but he got it done. He’s the man.”

Post Time still had work to do once he straightened for home, and Sheldon Russell had to tip outside Tenebris, a horse wheeling back six days after winning for the third time in four starts, to find running room. Set down for a drive, Post Time came with a steady run down the center of the stretch to get past Tenebris and Seven’s Eleven racing along the rail and win at 1:23.33 over a fast main track.

“I’d say we were a little worried shortening back up to the seven-eighths. There wasn’t a whole lot of lightning-fast speed in the race, so my goal was to keep him close enough,” Sheldon Russell said. “I felt like he traveled good. If anything I felt like we had to rush him a little bit, but once I got him clear at the eighth pole, he spurted clear and showed his true class.”

Seven’s Eleven held second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of 24-1 long shot Tenebris, with another half-length to Nimitz Class in fourth. No Cents and Greeley and Ben completed the order of finish. Cowan was scratched.

Post Time, Maryland’s champion 2-year-old of 2022, improved to 6-for-6 lifetime at Laurel including wins in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile and 2023 City of Laurel and the one-mile Jennings on Jan. 28 to open his 4-year-old season. The Frosted colt also beat his elders last fall in a six-furlong optional-claiming allowance at Pimlico and was third behind Grade 3 winner Raise Cain in the Oct. 21 Perryville at Keeneland, his lone trip outside Maryland.

“He’s only been the mile once now, but he was so impressive,” Brittany Russell said. “Yeah, it might have been against Maryland-breds, but he’s done well racing at seven (furlongs). I’m not sure this is really what he wants, but he does it.

“It’s huge anytime to get a graded stake. It’s hard to keep these horses healthy and moving forward and doing good. The fact (is) that he was sitting here in good form and we got the graded stake. Obviously we’re hoping we can keep going and do some bigger and better things, but just to get the graded-stake is a major accomplishment in itself.”

Apple Picker finds room, wins Fritchie

Apple Picker split tiring pacesetter Disco Ebo to the inside and multiple stakes winner Last Leaf in mid-stretch and drew away to open her 4-year-old season in style with a one-length victory in the Barbara Fritchie, a seven-furlong, $200,000 race for older fillies and mares.

It was the second stakes win and the first in graded company for Apple Picker ($12.40), who snapped a three-race losing streak with her third win from eight starts since owner Michael Dubb sent her to trainer Brittany Russell last spring.

It also provided a bit of redemption for Sheldon Russell, who was aboard when the daughter of Connect ran fourth, a half-length out of third, in the seven-furlong Raven Run (G2) in October at Keeneland.

“I felt bad after the race at Keeneland,” Sheldon Russell said. “I thought I maybe could have gotten her up and at least get her a graded placing, but things happen the way they do, and now she’s a graded winner. I’m elated for her and the whole team.”

Disco Ebo, whose three stakes wins all came in front-running fashion, broke sharply and was in front through a quarter-mile in 22.83 seconds, pressed to her outside by 13-1 long shot Beneath the Stars. The top two went the half together in 45.32 seconds with Continentalcongres working hard to keep up in third while Apple Picker trailed each of her six rivals.

“That’s her running style. That’s her. But at the end of the day, I was really happy the way she came into it,” Brittany Russell said. “We had this race in mind for quite some time.

“I’ve always loved this filly. She trains great. She touts herself in the morning, and honestly, she shows up in the afternoon. She’s had a lot of bad luck but I felt really good about today.”

Sheldon Russell and Apple Picker improved their position on the far turn but straightened for home blocked by a wall of horses. As they began to spread apart Russell was able to move Apple Picker off the inside and had plenty of room to cruise through and win in 1:25.22 over a fast main track.

“Looking at the race (Disco Ebo) was the speed, so I wanted to break and follow that horse,” Sheldon Russell said. “At one point it looked like I was going to have to go all the way outside, but I decided to hold my cards and see what developed, and it worked out where we stayed put, and then she put in a big run to get there. She’s such a game horse.”

Last Leaf edged late-running Prodigy Doll by a neck for second. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Disco Ebo in fourth, followed by 4-5 favorite Bluefield, Continentalcongres and Beneath the Stars. Freccia d’Argento and Intrepid Daydream were scratched.

Apple Picker’s previous stakes win came in the six-furlong Weather Vane last September at Pimlico in his fourth start for Russell and first after back-to-back, failed turf tries. Following the Raven Run she was second in both the Safely Kept and Willa On the Move, the latter against older horses, beaten a total of 2 1/2 lengths.

“It’s a credit to Mike (Dubb) and the team and everyone for allowing us to be patient and do the job we needed to do to get the win today,” Brittany Russell said. “Honestly we haven’t looked past today. This was the goal, so we’ll probably regroup at this stage and see how she comes out of it.”