Continuing on the path to a possible start in the Breeders’ Cup, Hillwood Stable’s Maryland-bred and based multiple graded-stakes winner Post Time returns to his home track for the first time since mid-February in Saturday’s $100,000 Polynesian at Laurel Park.

The 20th running of the one-mile Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up headlines an 11-race program that also features a pair of $100,000 stakes scheduled for the grass – the 1 1/8-mile All Along and 5 ½-furlong Sensible Lady Turf Dash, both for fillies and mares 3 and up. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

Trainer Brittany Russell, who turned 35 Wednesday, said the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar remains under consideration for Post Time, who enters the Polynesian off back-to-back Grade 1 placings at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Post Time ranks first with 22 points in the Breeders’ Cup divisional standings with National Treasure and Japan-based Crown Pride having earned automatic berths.

“We had a few options in front of us but we’re kind of keeping a possible start in the Breeders’ Cup in the back of our minds and, with that being said, it just felt good to maybe give him one at home,” Russell said. “Hopefully we pick his head up and give him a win. He’s been banging heads with all the best his last couple runs. We’re hoping we can get him in the winner’s circle and get a fun run into him.”

Mile races on the dirt are contested around two turns at Del Mar, a circumstance Post Time faced for the first time when he ran third in his most recent start, the Aug. 3 Whitney (G1), finishing ahead of such horses as graded-stakes winning millionaires Disarm, Skippylongstocking, National Treasure and First Mission and Grade 1 winner Bright Future. Prior to that, Post Time was second behind National Treasure in the June 8 Met Mile (G1).

Part of Russell’s string at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. overseen by assistant and exercise rider Emma Wolfe, Post Time has breezed twice since the Whitney including a five-furlong move in 1:02 Sept. 6. In his other tries at one mile, he was second in the May 3 Westchester (G3) at Aqueduct and won the Jan. 28 Jennings against fellow Maryland-bred/ sired horses at Laurel.

“He’s great. I watched him go by the other morning and he was giving Emma a hard time, which was great to see. He’s being himself,” Russell said. “Emma says he’s angry. He’s not pouting, he’s mad. Physically he’s great. He’s holding up to all that in that sense. It’s horse racing. A lot of things can happen in the afternoon. We’re not by any means being like, ‘Oh, he’s going to win.’ But we’re putting him in a spot where he should win and I’m hoping mentally that’ll put him right forward.”

Post Time has run six times at Laurel, all of them wins, including the Maryland Juvenile in 2022 when he was named the state’s top 2-year-old, 2023 Jennings and Feb. 17 General George (G3), his last home start. He drew Post 5 in a field of six under regular rider Sheldon Russell.

“Moving forward, cutting him back to one turn he’s been very good doing it in the races that we have been able to run him one turn. We know it’s not an issue with him,” Brittany Russell said. “It’s one of those things. It’s going to be short field, you just have to see how it sets up. Hopefully he’s the Post Time that he has been the last couple runs, because that should get the job done.”

Other one-mile stakes options this month include the $300,000 Parx Mile Sept. 21 and the $400,000 Ack Ack (G3) Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Dirt Mile. Overall Post Time has been third or better in all 12 of his starts with eight wins and $937,910 in purse earnings.

“We’ve all been on the road with him, too. We’re proud of him and he’s showed up and he’s done a lot of good in these big races, but it would be nice to get [owner] Mrs. [Ellen] Charles in the win picture with him if we can,” Russell said. “I think it’ll be nice to not have to ship him. It’s a small $100,000 stake but in the grand scheme of things, if it sets him up good for whatever we choose his next start to be, it fits well in the schedule.”

Russell also entered Frightland, bred and owned by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, in the Polynesian. It will be the 24th start and first in stakes company for the 6-year-old gelding, who owns a career record of 3-5-3 from 18 races at Laurel and was most recently third by a length in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance Aug. 2.

“Frightland is a little bit of a tricky horse. He seems to run good at Laurel and in the summer with all the tracks open I’ve had a little bit of a hard time getting him in,” Russell said. “I was just hoping that in a short field that maybe he could get a piece of it.”

Sterling Road Stables and LBR Racing Stable’s Riccio enters the Polynesian off a dominant nine-length victory in an off-the-turf Find going one mile Aug. 18 at Laurel for trainer Richard Sillaman. It was the first stakes win for the 4-year-old gelding after placing three times previously.

Matt Spencer, Kelly Jo Cox and Bonuccelli Racing’s Ain’t Da Beer Cold is the most experienced Polynesian runner with 40 starts, 32 of them coming at Laurel, where he has a record of 6-5-5 topped by wins in the April 13 Native Dancer and 2023 Maryland Million Classic – the latter by disqualification – at 1 1/8 miles.

Debit Card, coming off back-to-back sprint wins at Charles Town, and Curlin’s Malibu complete the field.

The Polynesian is named for the 1945 Preakness (G1) winner that put together a record of 27-10-10 with purse earnings of $310,410 from 1944-47, 16 of his victories coming in stakes. Named the U.S. champion sprinter in 1947, he went on to a successful stud career most notably as the sire of Hall of Famer Native Dancer, the 1953 Preakness winner, and grandsire of 1966 Preakness winner Kauai King.

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