With a new stakes winner and two maiden winners on Sunday, Not This Time solidified his position atop the 2020 First-Crop sire list in both categories.
The banner day started with Vacay’s stakes win in the $100,000 Key Cents S. at Aqueduct. The 2-year-old filly was fourth of five early and had to go four-wide around the turn, but she strode out powerfully in the stretch, taking command with about a furlong to run, then drew off to win by 5 1/2-lengths over Rossa Veloce.
“I thought it was a very professional performance on her part,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “She finished up the way you would want one to. She’s a quality filly.”
Owned by Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Vacay is now two-for-two and has earned $83,600. She was bred by J Stables LLC and is out of the stakes winner Florida Sun.
Not This Time’s Sunday maiden winners both came at Churchill Downs.
Outlier was a six-length winner of the third race, taking command at the midway point of the six-furlong affair to win handily. Outlier races for the partnership of Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables and LNJ Foxwoods and was bred by Pedro Gonzalez. The colt sold for $375,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling sale.
In Sunday’s finale, Tamanrassett battled his way to a head victory in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight contest. Owned and bred by Redmon Farm, the bay colt is out of Echo Storm, a half-sister to Sapling S. (G3) winner Western Smoke.
Not This Time has now accounted for 21 individual winners of 27 races, as well as three stakes winners and five black type horses.