On Time Girl overcomes bad trip to score in Forward Gal
On Time Girl stamped herself a 3-year-old filly to watch with a determined three-length triumph in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park.
The homebred, making her season and graded-stakes debut for Albaugh Family Stables, rallied from fourth at the top of the stretch to win the seven-furlong sprint in 1:24.59 over a fast main track. The victory gave jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his fourth win of the day and second in a stakes following Solitude Dude in the $175,000 Swale for 3-year-olds sprinting on the main track.
The 46th running of the Forward Gal for sophomore fillies served as the third of five stakes, two graded, worth $975,000 in purses on a 12-race program anchored by the $275,000 Holy Bull (G3) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1). The Forward Gal offered 42 qualifying points for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) to the top five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis.
The race honors the Florida-bred 2-year-old filly champion of 1970 who won a dozen races including the Alabama (G1), Mother Goose (G1), Spinaway (G1) and Gazelle (G1).
On Time Girl ($4.20) went off as the even-money favorite in a field of eight.
Arindel homebred Mythical, who won four stakes in six starts at 2 including the Tremont against males and Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga, got away a step slow but quickly gained her stride and surged to the lead midway down the backstretch. She went the opening quarter-mile in 22.96 seconds. Ortiz had On Time Girl positioned between horses in second, pressed to his outside by 9-1 long shot Imperatrice, a second-time starter trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.
Mythical maintained the advantage through a half-mile in 46.05 seconds as On Time Girl got shuffled back to fourth. Imperatrice took over second and Tessellate passed horses on the outside to move into third as the field left the backstretch, giving trainer Brad Cox a brief moment of concern.
"She had to check out of it a little bit going into the far turn," Cox said, "but was able to settle behind horses and finish up a lot."
Ortiz stayed patient aboard On Time Girl waiting for room, which came after turning for home. He steered the bay filly between Tessellate and Hollen Drive and set his sights on Imperatrice, forging a short lead inside the eighth pole and outgaining her and late-running Sneaky Good late.
"I broke good. I felt like Mythical had speed so I stuck right there beside her. The outside horse showed some speed so I took my time," Ortiz said. "I got out of there at the half-mile pole. I was in a bad spot and I wasn't comfortable there, but the filly responded like a champion. She kept trying and she held me there. I was able to hold my ground, hold my position and after that I straightened out and she did the rest."
Imperatrice stayed up for second, a neck ahead of Sneaky Good, followed by Hollen Drive, Mythical, Tessellate, Secane and Music Burst.
On Time Girl, by Not This Time, is out of the Uncle Mo mare Girl Daddy, who won the one-mile Pocahontas (G3) and finished second in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2020. Not This Time won the Iroquois (G3) and lost by a neck in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2016, both at 1 1/16 miles.
The Forward Gal marked the longest race to date for On Time Girl, who won three of four starts at 2 capped by a 3 1/2-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Fern Creek at Churchill Downs. Cox expects to point On Time Girl to the Davona Dale (G2), feeling she has the potential to stretch out.
"It's possible based on pedigree," he said. "It might be something she's able to do. The Davona Dale might be in play going a one-turn mile here late February."
Next up for 3-year-old fillies on the dirt at Gulfstream is the $225,000 Davona Dale (G2) at a one-turn mile Feb. 28, the final steppingstone to the $275,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) going 1 1/16 miles March 28.