ARCADIA, CA – Invading stakes winner One Timer shot out to a blistering early lead and proved far too fast to be caught in Friday’s $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
The Speakeasy is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, with One Timer receiving an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar this November.
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One Timer broke well under traveling jockey E. T. Baird and soon found himself racing inside slight 9/5 favorite Forbidden Kingdom into the far turn while completing the opening 1/4-mile in a lightning-quick :21.01.
Forbidden Kingdom began giving way off the far turn as One Timer kicked into gear and ran off in the stretch, and though Time to Party closed the gap in the late stages, One Timer’s victory was never in doubt.
The Larry Rivelli trainee completed the 5-furlong firm turf sprint in :55.45 while crossing 3/4 of a length the best.
“He broke well, I had to ask him out of there, but he’s pretty professional outside of the post parade,” Baird said. “He just kept running true.”
Time to Party rallied from mid-pack to finish 2 1/2 lengths clear of Forbidden Kingdom. Miss Alacrity, Blame It On Rose, and Rock the Belles – the field’s three fillies – completed the order of finish.
Anmer Hall scratched from the race restricted to 2-year-olds.
One Timer’s win followed a debut score on the Arlington Park and the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, both sprints on synthetic tracks. The Trappe Shot gelding, purchased for $21,000 as a yearling, has now banked $138,153 for co-owners Patricia’s Hope and Richard Ravin.
“I think he took to the (turf) great,” Baird said. “We worked him 1 time (at Arlington Park) over the grass and I happened to work another horse, an older horse, on the same morning and the older horse ended up winning (a) stake after that work.”
One Timer returned $5.80 to win, $4 to place, and $2.40 to show. Time to Party brought back $5.80 to place and $3 to show. Forbidden Kingdom paid $2.40 to show.
