Winning Time scores in PA Nursery

Facing a couple of stakes winners? First time outside the maiden ranks? Breaking from the far outside?

None of it was any problem at all for Winning Time, who rolled to victory in Tuesday’s $200,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes for PA-bred two-year-olds at Parx Racing. Running time for the seven-furlong trip on a fast main track was 1:26.48.

Trained by Kathleen Demasi, Winning Time is a homebred son of Winchill for Pewter Stable. He had impressed at first asking, winning a local maiden special weight contest by 11 lengths without ever being asked by jockey Silvestre Gonzalez.

The competition was stiffer today, including undefeated stakes winners Gordian Knot and Ninetyprcentmaddie. But the result was the same.

Gonzalez, back aboard this afternoon, had Winning Time hustling from the gate and quickly in position to press the early pace of All Eyes on You. That runner led the field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.36 seconds and a half in 45.55, and at both calls, Winning Time was just a head back.

Behind them after a half-mile were Ninetyprcentmaddie, who had backed off slightly after being engaged with the leaders through the early running, and Gordian Knot, rallying on the outside after being steadied at the start.

Winning Time
Winning Time earned his first stakes win in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx. Photo by Barbara Weidl/EQUI-PHOTO.

Nearing the head of the lane, Winning Time disposed of pace rival All Eyes on You, and in the lane, while Gordian Knot and Ninetyprcentmaddie tried hard, neither made much impact on the leader. Only Veeson, rallying down the center of the track while on the wrong lead and at odds of 81-1, made much of late impression, closing from seven lengths back with an eighth to go to finish second, just three-quarters of a length behind Winning Time.

It was another 1 ¼ lengths back to Gordian Knot in third, and he, in turn, was a quarter-length better than Ninetyprcentmaddie. Off as the third choice, Winning Time paid $7.80 to win and topped an exacta that, with the longshot underneath, returned $296.80 for a  two-dollar wager.

Winning Time is now two-for-two with career earnings of $135,600.

In the $75,000 Future Stars Filly Division Stakes for two-year-old fillies one race prior, favored Girl Trouble encountered no trouble at all en route to a facile six-length score under Paco Lopez. Trained by Butch Reid for Swilcan Stable LLC and LC Racing LLC, Girl Trouble stopped the timer in 1:13.46 for six furlongs.

It was Girl Trouble’s third win from six outings and pushed her earnings to $160,500. She paid $3.20 to win.

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