Timeless Curls set for stakes debut
In the Navy Now (#8) was up in time to win the 2017 Nellie Morse Stakes. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Sookdeen Pasram’s Timeless Curls, never off the board in eight career starts, will take the next step in her progression when she tries stakes company for the first time in the $100,000 Nellie Morse.
The chestnut daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin comes into the Nellie Morse having won three consecutive optional claiming allowance races to cap her 3-year-old season, the last two at Laurel, where she also broke her maiden Aug. 2.
“She was just getting better as she went along. She’s always been pretty decent, but she really put it together the last part of the year,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “She was just a nice, useful horse, we thought, but you never know until you get them running. Sometimes they train better than they race, but luckily for us she’s run better than she trained, especially in the beginning. She’s doing well now. Her works have been much better, so I expect a good race out of her.”
Timeless Curls is three-for-five lifetime at Laurel with one second and one third. Weston Hamilton, an Eclipse Award finalist for 2018 champion apprentice that has been aboard for all eight of her races, gets the return call from Post 4. All six fillies and mares will carry 120 pounds.
Showing some grit to match her talent, Timeless Curls raced in fifth after a half-mile before surging between horses to get up by a head over Isotope going seven furlongs last time out Nov. 29. Isotope returned to capture the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Dec. 29 at Laurel.
Timeless Curls has worked four times for the Nellie Morse, registering back-to-back bullet five-furlong breezes in 59.40 seconds Dec. 30 and Jan. 6.
“She’s had a couple of good works the last few weeks, and she’s fresh, so hopefully we get some good luck. I expect her to run well,” Capuano said. “She’s pretty versatile, so with her you just have to see how the race shakes out and the rider just has to use good judgement. She’s gone through her conditions and she’s earned her shot.”
Godolphin homebred Face It ships in from New York where the chestnut daughter of Tapit broke her maiden by 10 lengths and toppled winners 23 days later – both going a mile – in November at Aqueduct for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Jorge Vargas Jr. rides from outside Post 6.
Also entered are Blue Union Rags, fourth in a pair of Grade 3 events last summer; Mo Knows and Enthrall, most recently off the board in the Thirty Eight Go Go; and Mzima Springs.
