New ‘Rising Star’ Time To Dream To Stick To Turf For Now For Pletcher And Repole

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In the first race of her career Friday, Time to Dream (Not This Time) showed that she could very well have been given a fitting name.

After overcoming trouble under jockey Jose Ortiz, the Repole Stable bay stormed from off the pace in the stretch to win the seventh race, a $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds by 2 1/4 lengths over pacesetter Maiora (Speightstown). Time to Dream completed the one mile on the inner turf course in 1:36.58 and paid $9.90 to win. Pan Pan (Audible) was another half-length back in third.

Bred in Kentucky by Maggie Gleseke, the daughter of the Street Sense mare Wild Silk drew the attention of owner Mike Repole and his staff at last summer's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Nearly a year later, she debuted in style.

“Obviously, a beautiful yearling,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “Mike reached out and gave $750,000 so she is one that we had high hopes for coming in. She's a very professional filly and trained really well leading into this. We were optimistic, but it's great to see her perform to where we thought she might be capable of.”

Time to Dream is a half-sister to Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance), a three-time graded stakes winner on dirt. Yet, Time to Dream started her career on turf.

“When we were first up here in the spring, the Oklahoma track was pretty deep and demanding, and it seemed like we were having some horses that were struggling with it a little bit,” Pletcher said. “She was not one of them, but we did work her one time on the turf. Not This Time is such a versatile stallion. It seems like he really gets runners that do just about anything. We thought she really breezed well on the turf and felt like she didn't want to rush in a maiden dirt race. We were just kind of waiting for this.”

The half-mile turf work in :50.85 took place on the June 27 and put her on course for a race on the grass.

Pletcher smiled at the obvious next question.

“Today, she's a turf horse,” he said, “but we wouldn't rule out at some point trying the dirt.”

Pletcher said Time to Dream might be a candidate for the

1 1/16th miles P.G. Johnson Stakes on turf on Aug. 27.

Time to Dream was Pletcher's third winner of the meet in the top-level 2-year-old maiden special weight races. He is 3-2-1 from 11 starts.

Making her second career start, Maiora quickly took command of the race under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario and led the field of eight through comfortable opening split times of :24.25 and :48.96. At the top of the stretch she extended her advantage to three lengths after covering six furlongs in 1:13.11 and looked like she would secure the victory for owners Susie and Ed Orr.

Time to Dream was sitting in a stalking position going up the backstretch, but found trouble near the three-eighths pole and Ortiz had to check off the heels of Pan Pan. Moments later, he had to carefully avoid the heels of Repole stablemate Flighttown (Practical Joke) on the turn.

“She broke great and put me into a good spot,” Ortiz said. “At the second turn, I kind of hit a little bit of traffic. She backed up a little, and then she re-broke again. It was very impressive. It was nice.”

Pletcher's two horses were close to each other when Ortiz had to check.

“She was making some good progress and then it looked like she kind of had to, not slam on the brakes, but at least kind of put it on hold for a few strides a couple of times,” Pletcher said. “But it's impressive to see her regroup and then deliver another big run.

Ortiz took Time to Dream wide coming off the turn and she accelerated quickly to put herself into contention. She caught Maiora near the sixteenth pole and sped away.

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