Undefeated Post Time heads to Keeneland’s Perryville Stakes

Post Time, undefeated winner of his comeback race last month at Pimlico, will put his perfect record to the test next weekend in the first race outside his native Maryland.

The 3-year-old colt is owned by Hillwood Stable and conditioned by Maryland's leading trainer Brittany Russell, whose main string is based at Laurel Park. He is entered to make his next start in the $250,000 Perryville for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs Saturday at Keeneland.

The gray or roan son of Grade 1-winning multimillionaire Frosted made a triumphant return Sept. 22 at Pimlico, overcoming a slow start to rally for a popular and professional 4 1/2-length optional claiming allowance score over older horses in 1:11.64 for six furlongs. It was his first start in 295 days.

“We got the run under his belt, and it was a positive run,” Russell said. “He’s going to have to do a lot more in this next spot, but as long as he shows he can run with those types we can start thinking what’s next. There’s always races at home, but if he’s the talent we think he is we need to try something like this.”

Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Brooke Bowman and Milton Higgins III, Post Time was purchased by Hillwood’s Ellen Charles for $85,000 as a yearling in October 2021. He raced three times at 2, all at Laurel, starting with a two-length debut triumph in a 5 1/2-furlong, off-the-turf maiden special weight last Oct. 7 despite acting and racing greenly.

Post Time wheeled back 20 days later to beat winners in his first try by 6 3/4 lengths, sprinting seven furlongs in 1:25.30. Unraced in November, he came from off the pace again for a 3 3/4-length victory in the Maryland Juvenile, going seven-eighths in 1:23.98 to beat a field that included stakes winners Johnyz From Albany and Coffeewithchris.

Pointed to Laurel’s Spectacular Bid in January, Maryland’s first stakes of the year for sophomores, Post Time went to the sidelines and didn’t return to the work tab until July. He posted eight breezes with Russell’s string at Delaware Park leading up to his return, which saw him racing on the inside and within traffic for the first time against six opponents who had combined for 33 wins from 190 starts.

“You’re not always going to have the outside post and be able to just loop them. You’re going to have to have to be able to run through horses, take dirt and be a man,” Russell said. “He sure acts like he’s a man.”

Post Time drew post 3 in a field of six for the Perryville, which includes Indiana Derby (G3) winner and twice Grade 1-placed Verifying, trained by Russell’s former mentor, Brad Cox; Rebel (G2) winner Confidence Game, 10th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in his last start; and Gotham (G3) winner Raise Cain, most recently second in the Indiana Derby. Russell’s husband, champion jockey Sheldon Russell, is named to ride.

“We’re taking him there. He’s earned his way,” Brittany Russell said. “We need to test him eventually and it just seems like a good spot, 3-year-olds, seven-eighths. It worked out that it’s a short field. I want to take him out of town, and I want to give it a try. He’s really talented. He looks really good at home, but he’s going to have to step up out of town, so it seems like a good time to do it.”

Also entered at Keeneland for Russell is Michael Dubb homebred Apple Picker in the seven-furlong Raven Run (G2) for 3-year-old fillies. The daughter of Grade 1-winning millionaire Connect exits a 4 1/2-length upset at odds of 8-1 in the six-furlong Weather Vane Sept. 16 at Pimlico.

Russell has another exciting prospect in Karmac Stable’s Maryland homebred Prado Road, who finished second in Saturday’s Maryland Million Nursery for 2-year-olds. The Golden Lad colt pressed the pace into the stretch while racing wide and held the place by three-quarters of a length over favored Kohler’s.

“He’s a classy horse,” Russell said. “He’s a just a big, smart, kind animal that came over here and acts like he’s been here forever, because he’s been training at Delaware. There’s a lot of positive things about him being a Maryland-bred and everything.”

Prado Road also ran second in his Sept. 30 unveiling at Delaware, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight where he was beaten a neck by first-timer American War Hero, a $625,000 son of Constitution trained by Graham Motion.

“I think he was a little unlucky not to win that day. Graham Motion had an expensive horse in that race that ran him down. I think he was well-meant,” Russell said. “We liked him going into that run, so we definitely come (to Maryland Million) if he wins first time. I just thought, ‘Let’s take a swing,’ because he’s doing really good.”