Not This Time tallied a pair of stakes winners Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, highlighted by No More Time’s front-running score in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3) the first stakes win for the 3-year-old colt. The victory earned No More Time 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Two races prior to the Sam Davis, Not This Time’s veteran stakes performer Sibelius won the Pelican S., a race he also won in 2022.
No More Time, in post 5 for his graded stakes debut, secured the lead before entering the first turn and sped through lively splits of :23.52 for the quarter and :46.61 for the half. West Saratoga mounted a serious challenge for the lead rounding the second bend and turning for home before No More Time shook him off and re-opened a two-length lead with a furlong to run. Agate Road, far back early, could get no closer than the 1 ¼-length final margin.
The time for the 1 1/16-miles on a fast track was 1:43.26.
“That was a monster move,” trainer Jose D’Angelo said of the colt’s quick start. “He took the lead with no problem today. I said before the race we wanted a good start and we’ll see what happens, but (No More Time) did it on his own.”
D’Angelo indicated that No More Time would return to the same track for the March 4 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
No More Time, who is owned by Morplay Racing LLC, is now 2-1-0 in four starts and has earned $156.780. The dark bay was bred by MAMAS Thoroughbreds, LLC and hails from the family of Hollywood Futurity (G1) winner Siphonic. No More Time is the 31st stakes winner and 14th graded winner for Not This Time, who was the leading Fourth-Crop Sire and a top-10 General Sire in 2023.