Well-bred Filly Marr Time Makes Oaklawn Debut Sunday

Oaklawn Barn Notes by Robert Yates

Contact: Jennifer Hoyt, jhoyt@oaklawn.com or (501) 363-4305

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Photo credit: Robert Yates

Well-bred Filly Marr Time Makes Oaklawn Debut Sunday

She has a chance to do something her famous mother couldn’t – win at Oaklawn.

Unbeaten Marr Time faces winners for the first time in Sunday’s sixth race, an entry-level allowance sprint for 2-year-old fillies for trainer Brad Cox and breeder/owner Clarkland Farm (Fred Mitchell). Marr Time is by the top young sire Not This Time, but it’s her dam’s name that turns heads. Marr Time is out of Leslie’s Lady, making her a half-sister to four-time Eclipse Award winner and future Hall of Famer Beholder, super sire Into Mischief and Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn.

Marr Time, as the 3-5 favorite, was a front-running 2 ¾-length winner of her Oct. 28 career debut at Keeneland. Florent Geroux, Oaklawn’s leading rider through the first six days of the 2021-2022 meeting, has the return call on Marr Time, who is scheduled to break from post 2 in the projected eight-horse field.

“Marr Time, she’s obviously got a big pedigree,” Cox said Thursday afternoon. “Fast filly. Hopeful that this is the next step to stretching her out. We like her. She’s pretty classy.”

Marr Time has worked twice at Oaklawn in advance of her local debut. She recorded a 5-furlong bullet (:59.60) Dec. 5 and covered a half-mile in :48.40 Dec. 12. Marr Time will be racing on Lasix for the first time Sunday.

“She’s a big, beautiful filly,” Cox said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Leslie’s Lady ran in three sprints at the 1999 Oaklawn meeting for Bob Holthus, Oaklawn’s all-time leading trainer, and owner James T. Hines Jr. Leslie’s Lady, a daughter of Tricky Creek, finished second to stablemate The Happy Hopper in the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, fifth as the heavy favorite in an allowance event and fourth in the $35,000 America’s First Lady Stakes. Holthus and Hines’ estate later campaigned 2006 Arkansas Derby and Rebel winner Lawyer Ron.

Clarkland Farm purchased Leslie’s Lady for $100,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She was named 2016 Broodmare of the Year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. Leslie’s Lady, 25, was pensioned last spring, with Marr Time her penultimate foal.

Not This Time, by Giant’s Causeway out of Oaklawn stakes winner Miss Macy Sue, finished second in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in 2016.

Probable post time for Sunday’s sixth race is 2:51 p.m. (Central).

Hypersport Eyes Two Turns

Although the sample size is small, Hypersport holds the distinction of running the fastest 6 furlongs in Oaklawn history by a 2-year-old. Now, the daughter of champion and 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame will try to carry her speed around two turns for the first time in a 1-mile allowance race New Year’s Eve, trainer Ingrid Mason said Wednesday morning.

Hypersport was a front-running four-length maiden special weights winner opening day, Dec. 3, under regular rider Francisco Arrieta, covering 6 furlongs in a meet-best 1:09.66.

“We’re super excited about it,” Mason said. “For any filly to run an 88 Beyer is pretty impressive, no matter what, even if she can’t go long. I think she’s talented enough to stretch out, but if she can’t she’s still going to be a hell of a sprinter.”

Hypersport returned to the work tab Tuesday morning and breezed a half-mile in :49.20 over a fast surface. Mason said she was particularly pleased with the way the filly galloped out, adding, “All I saw was this little dot go around the racetrack.”

“She did it quite easily,” said Mason, who trains Hypersport for significant other Mike Waters. “She’s got a high cruising speed, so Arrieta was extremely happy with her yesterday.”

Waters (Muddy Waters Stables) purchased Hypersport for $100,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She ran second in her Oct. 21 career debut at Keeneland.

Oaklawn has run more than 1,000 races for 2-year-olds since its inaugural meeting in 1905, but only 35 have been at 6 furlongs because its traditional racing dates have been in January, February, March and April. Save 1945 – Oaklawn ran a fall meet because of World War II – most races were 3 furlongs or a half-mile before 2-year-old racing was eliminated in 1975. The fastest of 25 times at 6 furlongs in 1945 was 1:11 2/5, or 1:11.40 after being converted from fifths of a second.

Owing to a December opening, the earliest in its history, Oaklawn can card races for 2-year-olds, and at longer distances, in 2021. Hypersport’s time was slightly faster than Kavod (1:09.97) needed to beat other males in the inaugural $150,000 Advent Stakes a half-hour later opening day. The races were the first of the meeting for 2-year-olds at 6 furlongs.

The Dec. 31 allowance race could produce starters for the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Jan. 29. The 1 1/16-mile Martha Washington is Oaklawn’s first of three Kentucky Oaks points races.

Red Hot Mess, winner of the $50,000 White Clay Creek Stakes Oct. 13 at Delaware Park, is targeting the allowance race, trainer Chelsey Moysey said. Other candidates include Secret Oath, fifth in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and Oct. 20 Remington Park maiden special weights graduate Cupid’s Music for breeder/owner/trainer Danele Durham.

Secret Oath worked a half-mile in :48 Wednesday morning. Cupid’s Music went a half-mile in :48.60 Dec. 10. Red Hot Mess had her first local breeze Dec. 8. She went a half-mile in :47.60.

Finish Lines

Nominations closed Friday for the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds Jan. 1. The 1-mile race is Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby points races, with 17 awarded to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1, respectively). … Trainer Brad Cox said Thursday afternoon that Home Brew and Vivar are targeting the Smarty Jones. Home Brew has won 2 of 3 career starts, including a first-level allowance in his two-turn debut Dec. 4 at Oaklawn for breeder/owners Gary and Mary West. Vivar (2 for 4) finished sixth in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs in his last start for breeder/owner John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs. Cox and Anthony teamed to win the 2021 Smarty Jones with Caddo River. … Jockey Alex Canchari entered Friday with 198 career Oaklawn victories. … It’sallinthenotes ($57.60) represented the second career victory for trainer Corey Deatherage in last Sunday’s ninth race, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Deatherage started his first horse in 2018 and saddled his first winner the following year at Oaklawn.

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