LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Brad Cox’s plan to turn both On Time Girl and Paradise back in distance rather than pursue the temptation of running in the Kentucky Oaks returned big dividends after the pair finished first and third, respectively, in the $700,000 Eight Belles Stakes on Friday at Churchill Downs.
On Time Girl rallied widest off the turn, then edged clear of the rail-skimming Luv Your Neighbor by 1 1/2 lengths. Paradise came from near the rear of the field to finish a similar margin back in third at the end of the seven-furlong, Grade 2 Eight Belles.
The victory was the fifth in seven starts for On Time Girl, a 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time, who also captured the Grade 3 Forward Gal going seven panels this winter at Gulfstream Park.
Cox opted to give On Time Girl a brief freshening following her disappointing third-place finish in the one-mile Davona Dale at Gulfstream on Feb. 28.
“I didn’t see any reason to go to the Gulfstream Oaks or Ashland with her after her race in the Davona Dale,” Cox explained. “She’s an honest filly and one turn is her thing. She was wheeling back in four weeks off the Forward Gal [in the Davona Dale] so I just figured it was time to back off a little bit and have a horse for the rest of the year.”
With regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, On Time Girl settled near the rear of the nine-horse field in the run down the backstretch, about five lengths off the early pacesetters, French Friction and River Wind. On Time Girl was forced to come six wide around horses while advancing into the stretch, overtook River Wind after six furlongs, then engaged with and ultimately pulled away from Luv Your Neighbor at the end.
Luv Your Neighbor, who was shortening to seven furlongs off a series of four straight two-turn races at the Fair Grounds, advanced to closer contention between horses on the bend. She was angled to the inside to continue her bid, joining On Time Girl for command through midstretch before proving second best.
Paradise, a distant third trying nine furlongs for the first time in the Grade 3 Gazelle last month at Aqueduct, had only one horse beat turning into the stretch of the Eight Belles before finishing willingly down the center of the course to best the others.
On Time Girl, an Albaugh Family Stables homebred, gave Ortiz his third win on the card. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:22.16 seconds and paid $5.92 as the favorite.
“I guess you can say this was the first step looking forward to the rest of the year and I guess trying to get to the Test,” Cox said when asked what was down the road for On Time Girl.
Cox was also very pleased with Paradise’s effort.
“I thought she ran great,” Cox said. “I thought they might get away from her a little bit coming off the longer races but she made a strong run on the outside at the end. She was just third best.”
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