In the final start of his career before he enters stud at Northview Stallion Station, Post Time looked sensational in taking the $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso Stakes over younger rival Barbadian Runner on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Laurel Park.
The 13th win of his stellar career was one of his best. The race earned Post Time a career high 110 Beyer Speed Figure, and the Daily Racing Form chart note chronicles his trip: "broke a step slow, regrouped and was taken firmly in hand while saving some ground, took closer order nearing the far turn while well within himself, idled behind a pair of rivals leaving the five sixteenths, angled three wide and found a seam into the stretch, responded when shaken up, closed sharply under a solid hand ride to forge past Barbadian Runner heading to sixteenth pole, spurted clear then was geared down in the final yards."
At one point Ellen Charles' Hillwood Stable colorbearer was nearly a dozen lengths off modest fractions of :23.90, :48.14 and 1:13.49. Barbadian Runner, rating early along the rail under Forest Boyce, waited for a path to open along the rail on the far turn and slipped through to get the jump on Post Time entering the stretch. The leading Maryland-bred 3-year-old of the year had a one and a half-length advantage on the field as he took command, but Post Time was on the move.
Post Time's momentum propelled him clear by one and a quarter lengths as he cruised in to stop the clock at the end of the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.54. It was more than 15 lengths back to the third-place finisher Pay Billy. The victory avenged Post Time's Maryland Million Classic defeat in October by Barbadian Runner, which winning rider Sheldon Russell said "will forever haunt me." The second-place finish ended his Laurel win streak at 10; the 5-year-old son of Frosted retires with a career Maryland mark of 12 wins in 13 starts (one coming at Pimlico). In 23 lifetime starts, he recorded 13 wins, four seconds, and five thirds for earnings of $1,558,705.
Trainer Brittany Russell was emotional after the race and told Vinnie Perrone with the Laurel media department, "He's taught me a few things. If I ever get another one like him, I'll know to enjoy every single step...These horses are hard to come by."
Based at Fair Hill, Post Time was due to ship within the week to Northview Stallion Station, approximately 20 miles south in Chesapeake City, to prepare for his first season at stud. He will stand for $4,000 and will be showcased, along with the farm's six other stallions, during an open house on Sunday, Jan. 4.
Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman and Milton P. Higgins, the striking gray was purchased by Ellen Charles for $85,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale through agent Cary Frommer.
Named Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, champion older male and champion sprinter in 2024 and champion 2-year-old male in 2022, Post Time won stakes every year from ages 2 to 5 for a total of nine stakes wins. He accounted for the Maryland Juvenile Stakes in 2022, City of Laurel in 2023, the Carter-G2, General George-G3, Polynesian and Jennings last year, and won the Deputed Testamony and his second consecutive Polynesian Stakes this year. Seven of his nine stakes placings were graded, with Grade 1-placings last year in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-G1, Metropolitan Handicap-G1 and Whitney Stakes-G1.
Out of the stakes-winning Fairbanks mare Vielsalm, Maryland's Broodmare of the Year for 2024, Post Time is a half-brother to nine-time winner and $326,606-earner What Does It Take (by Munnings). His 3-year-old half-sister Field Song (by McKinzie), sold for $80,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall sale, and for $140,000 at OBS at 2 and is winless in her first two starts. Vielsalm delivered a Tapit colt in April in Kentucky and was bred back to Frosted.
