Disco Time Catches Saturday Night Fever in Lecomte

[Wandering Eyes]

Sent off at odds of 9-5 to take his career record to three wins from as many appearances in Saturday's GIII Lecomte Stakes at a sloppy Fair Grounds Race Course, Juddmonte's Disco Time (Not This Time) was hung out to dry somewhere on the banks of the Mississippi turning into the long straight, but he closed resolutely through the final eighth of a mile to earn 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

In a bit tight at the break, the homebred was able to get down into the three or four path from his double-digit alley by the time the field reached the first turn and raced in about third- or fourth-last position as the rail-drawn Innovator (Authentic) took them through an opening quarter in :23.68.

Racing well out into the track and remaining in the latter third of the field into the final half-mile, Disco Time began to find stride, but was consigned to a wide run around the second turn and he was flushed perhaps as many as 10 paths deep into the long stretch at the Fair Grounds when Louisiana-bred Dapper Moon (Malibu Moon) bore out into Calling Card (Complexity). In the meantime, Innovator was still going well at the fence, but Gun Runner Stakes romper Built (Hard Spun), who had sat a perfect inside trip close to the pace, was bearing down on him inside the eighth pole as Disco Time continued to plug away on the grandstand side.

The Eclipse runner finally poked his head in front in the dying strides, but Disco Time managed to sustain his momentum and was shoved across the line narrowly best.

“That wasn't the way we drew it up before the race, but he he broke OK, and from there I saw lot of horses going at it, so I just tucked in,” winning jockey Florent Geroux said. “I was able to save a lot of going into the first turn, which was important given the tough post we had. From there he relaxed beautifully for me and took the kickback very well.

“I didn't feel like I was behind horses who were traveling great and felt like they were going to back up at me,” he continued. “I just took my time and made sure I was going to time it right. When he was ready I just tipped him all the way outside and made a nice, long run down the lane. I'm very pleased with the horse. I feel like I gave some ground to the runner-up, who had a little bit of a better trip than mine, but my horse was able to overcome it. He proved he was the best horse today.”

Disco Time sat a pace-pressing trip in his seven-furlong debut at Churchill Downs Nov. 1, charging clear late to graduate by a widening 3 3/4 lengths. Stretched to that track's one-turn mile Nov. 30, he raced on top of a quick pace, was in front fully four furlongs from the wire and came away late to score by 3 1/2 lengths.

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Disco Time becomes the 42 stakes winner and 20th winner at the graded/group level for his boom sire and he is the 33rd SW and 9th GSW produced by a daughter of A.P. Indy's son Jump Start.

Disco Time is one of two winners from two to the races from his dam, winner of four black-type events and Grade II-placed in a successful racing career. A $180,000 purchase by Nicoma Bloodstock at the 2018 Keeneland January Sale, Disco Chick produced Disco Time Mar. 4, 2022, was put in foal to Kantharos and was hammered down to RPM Thoroughbreds for $35,000 at Keeneland November that fall. The in-utero foal sadly died in 2023 and the mare did not produce in 2024 before being bred back to Yaupon.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
LECOMTE S.-GIII, $250,000, Fair Grounds, 1-18, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:47.07, sy.
1–DISCO TIME, 122, c, 3, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Disco Chick (MSW & GSP, $735,250),
                                by Jump Start
                2nd Dam: Disco Flirt, by Disco Rico
                3rd Dam: Survey, by Allen's Prospect
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $291,960. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Built, 122, c, 3, Hard Spun–Sea Garden, by Curlin. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($82,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $260,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Wayne M. Catalano. $50,000.
3–Innovator, 122, c, 3, Authentic–Inspired, by Unbridled's Song. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($900,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-BC Stables, LLC; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. $25,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 2.70, 16.10.
Also Ran: Golden Afternoon, Maximum Promise, Magnitude, Seattle Road, Calling Card, Jolly Samurai, Mobetterthangood, Dapper Moon, Optical, Tough Catch. Scratched: Admiral Dennis.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.

Disco Time earns 20 points towards the Kentucky Derby in the G3 Lecomte at @fairgroundsnola!

Back-to-back stakes win for both @bradcoxracing and @flothejock.

TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/8z3Z43oMMs

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) January 18, 2025

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