By Alan Carasso
For an operation so accustomed to success on these shores, the first two-plus days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival proved surprisingly and disappointingly fruitless for Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick.
Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was flat as the heavy favorite in Thursday's GII Belmont Gold Cup, while English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was last but one as the pick in Friday's GI New York S. Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was a fair fifth in Saturday's GI Jaipur S. to add insult to injury, but sent away at a fairly generous 3-1 in Saturday's GI Manhattan S., the immaculately bred Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}) proved the right elixir, as he came away late to best a classy field.
“It's been a long weekend,” Appleby admitted. “Things didn't go right with our other horses. At the end of the day he [Measured Time] was a class horse going into a Grade I. They're all finding their way in the Grade Is. As we know, at this level you can't really have any faults.
“We've earmarked this for some time thinking that the American tracks would suit him. Obviously, we saw what he did in Dubai. That kind of tracks, nice level tracks, suit him.”
Ridden aggressively from gate nine, this year's G1 Jebel Hatta hero–a latest fourth and beaten just over a length in the G1 Dubai Turf Mar. 30–led the Manhattan field under the wire for the first time, but Buick had left the inside open and longshot Strong Quality (Quality Road) clipped the hedge to take up the running at the first corner. Buick was content to cede the advantage, all the while keeping Measured Time at the saddle towel of Strong Quality, and the pace dropped away a bit through the middle stages.
Favored Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) slipstreamed his chief market rival and when Buick allowed Measured Time to assume command at the three-eighths, Flavien Prat began to feel for the last-out GI Turf Classic winner and produced him three deep into the lane with every chance if good enough. Measured Time cornered wide into the stretch as stablemate Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), winner of the GI Saratoga Derby here two summers ago, began to find his best stride, but Measured Time was kept to task and raced clear. Far Bridge (English Channel) and Ohana Honor (Honor Code) dead-heated for third.
“It was always the plan to go forward, sit forward,” Buick remarked. “He's a horse you never feel like you are going quick enough, so I was happy where I was. He was a bit competitive early on, but I always felt he was in a nice rhythm, and he's a real powerful galloper, as you saw there. He's still got a bit to learn, like he ran out on the home bend and it doesn't feel like he's a finished article just yet, but he sure has the raw talent.”
Appleby indicated that Measured Time could potentially take in a race like the GI Arlington Million at Colonial Downs in a couple months' time.
“We were confident stepping up to the [9 1/2 furlongs] today,” said Appleby. “We feel he could stretch out to a mile-and-a-half. We'll take the [GI] Breeders' Cup [Turf] into consideration.”
That race is also a strong possibility for Measured Time's globetrotting half-brother Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the 2022 Turf at Keeneland and a Group 1 winner in Dubai and Hong Kong this season. Rebel's Romance is expected for Saratoga's GI Sword Dancer S. in August.
Pedigree Notes:
Sheikh Mohammed's operation purchased Measured Time and Rebel's Romance's second dam Short Skirt, a half-sister to the multiple group-winning and multiple Group 1-placed Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian), for 1.4 million guineas ($2,839,305) at the 2006 Tattersalls December Mares sale, and among her four other winners was G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), while her unraced daughter Rose Law (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) produced Godolphin's Japanese listed winner and Group 3-placed Due Process (GB) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).
There is more Japanese black-type in the third dam, as Whitewater Affair accounted for multiple Japanese champion/Group 1 and poignant G1 Dubai World Cup hero Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), as well as Group 1-winning miler Asakusa Den'en (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}).
The most recent foal from Minidress is a yearling full-brother to Rebel's Romance.
Saturday, Saratoga Race Course
RESORTS WORLD CASINO MANHATTAN S.-GI, $1,000,000, Saratoga, 6-8, 4yo/up, 1 3/16mT, 1:51.94, fm.
1–MEASURED TIME (GB), 124, c, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Minidress (GB) (SP-Eng), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Short Skirt (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick. $550,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 8-6-1-0, $1,279,650. *1/2 to Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-UAE at 9.5-11f, MG1SW-Ger, G1SW-HK & UAE, GISW-US, GSW-Eng & Qat, $8,897,082. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nations Pride (Ire), 124, h, 5, Teofilo (Ire)–Important Time (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-CharlesAppleby. $200,000.
(DH)–3–Far Bridge, 124, c, 4, English Channel–Fitpitcher, by Kitten's Joy. O-LSU Stables; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $90,000.
(DH)–3–Ohana Honor, 118, r, 4, Honor Code–Spacy Tracy, by Awesome Again. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($430,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, LLC, Edward J. Hudson, Jr. and Lynne Hudson; B-Daniel J. Burke (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $90,000.
Margins: 2, NK, NK, NK. Odds: 3.10, 5.90, 18.00, 16.60.
Also Ran: Program Trading (GB), Al Riffa (Fr), I'm Very Busy, Strong Quality. Scratched: Kertez (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
The @godolphin homebred #9 Measured Time outclasses the rest in the G1 Manhattan S. at Saratoga under William Buick for trainer Charlie Appleby! ⏲️⌚
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/3gFyPHP72a
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 8, 2024
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