By Jill Williams
Two turns? It turns out there's no problem.
When Timberlake (c, 3, Into Mischief–Pin Up {Ire}, by Lookin At Lucky) finished a somewhat rank, then flat, fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, questions swirled about his ability to get two turns. Trainer Brad Cox brushed the questions aside and let the horse do the talking. A freshened Timberlake, making his first start of the year in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Saturday, captured the $1.3-million race by a resounding two lengths over Kenny McPeek trainees Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}) and Northern Flame (Flameaway). The Rebel offered points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.
When the Rebel gates flew, Timberlake broke smoothly to tuck in nicely behind the speed in fourth. 'TDN Rising Star' Carbone (Mitole) led the way, with Northern Flame just behind and Woodcourt (Ransom the Moon) pressuring from third. Timberlake held his spot as Common Defense slipped through on the inside and Mena (Hard Spun) ranged up to his outside. Up front, Carbone notched the first quarter in :23.20 and the half in :47.67 as Timberlake sat loaded and patient a few lengths back. The winner swung wide on the turn, took several strides to swap to his correct lead, drifted out under a left-hand stick, and corrected in the lane. Jockey Cristian Torres stayed busy late, keeping Timberlake's mind on business, and the pair edged clear, holding a rail-rallying Common Defense at bay by two lengths.
Timberlake has done very little wrong in his eight-month career. A June debut at Ellis Park saw him break a step slow and finish several spots off the board behind Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper), who later won the GII Saratoga Special. A month later, Timberlake made good on the $350,000 WinStar Farm shelled out for him at the previous year's Keeneland September sale as he ran away by 9 1/4 lengths to win at seven furlongs and nab the 'TDN Rising Star' tag reserved for special prospects. A second in the GI Hopeful S. and that fourth in the Breeders' Cup were sandwiched around a daylight victory by the bay in the GI Champagne S.
The Rebel marked Timberlake's first start of the year; he had been ranked ninth on the most recent TDN Sophomore Top 12 going into the Rebel. He was the sole Grade I winner in Oaklawn's Saturday feature and also owned the highest speed figures with a pair of 93 Beyers.
Pedigree Notes:
Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias, Timberlake is one of 68 graded winners for Spendthrift's five-time leading sire Into Mischief, who also sports a gaudy 145 black-type winners worldwide. While Timberlake is the only Into Mischief stakes winner out of a Lookin At Lucky mare, he also has GSW Bye Bye out of a mare by Smart Strike, Lookin At Lucky's sire, and a great number of black-type winners hailing from the Mr. Prospector broodmare line. The latter includes 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic, who stands beside his sire at Spendthrift. Lookin At Lucky, who is not standing this Northern Hemisphere season but remained in Chile, has 11 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Pin Up (Ire), dam of Timberlake, won twice at marathon distances in England. Her dam, by Sadler's Wells, is a full-sister to Irish champions and G1SWs Yesterday (Ire) and Quarter Moon (Ire), as well as a half-sister to $5.2-million Fasig-Tipton broodmare Betterbetterbetter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Pin Up produced a 2022 colt by Army Mule, who brought $30,000 from Tate Shaw at last October's Fasig-Tipton yearling sale, and a 2023 colt by Known Agenda.
Timberlake traces tail female to Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {GB}), who was known as the “Flying Filly,” and was one of the Aga Khan's foundation mares. Mumtaz Mahal, born in 1921 yet whose influence is still felt today, is Timberlake's 10th dam.
TIMBERLAKE wins the Rebel Stakes and earns 50 points on the Road to the #KyDerby! 🌹 pic.twitter.com/wW0GizGE4G
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) February 24, 2024
Saturday, Oaklawn
REBEL S.-GII, $1,250,000, Oaklawn, 2-24, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.00, ft.
1–TIMBERLAKE, 119, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Pin Up (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Lookin At Lucky
2nd Dam: All My Loving (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Jude (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
($350,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-WinStar Farm
LLC; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Cristian A.
Torres. $618,750. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-3-1-0, $1,094,350.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Common Defense, 117, c, 3, Karakontie (Jpn)–Allusion, by
Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($9,000 RNA Wlg '21 KEENOV). O-David A. Bernsen, Tony &
Michael Holmes & Norevale Farm; B-Tony Holmes, Norevale
Farm & Union Dale (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $206,250.
3–Northern Flame, 122, c, 3, Flameaway–Darling's Darling, by
Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($425,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Jack Oxley, Harold Lerner LLC,
AWC Stables & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Debby
Oxley (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $103,125.
Margins: 2, 3, 1. Odds: 0.80, 27.20, 15.20.
Also Ran: Woodcourt, Dimatic, Carbone, Just Steel, Next Level, Lagynos, Magic Grant, Mena, Tejon Pass. Scratched: Time for Truth. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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