In Our Time Could Target Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Resolute Racing and Miller Racing's In Our Time could be Breeders' Cup bound following a gate-to-wire score in Saturday's Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, which earned her a career-high 98 Beyer Speed Figure. The 6 1/2-furlong test was a return to the Kentucky-Tennessee border for In Our Time, who last year captured an allowance optional claimer going the Ladies Turf Sprint distance just one week following a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Resolute Racing Ladies Turf. She completed her 2025 campaign with a pair of runner-up finishes in the Grade 2 Franklin at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar going one mile. Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. stated that In Our Time could target the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on October 31 at Keeneland. "I think she's a candidate for the Breeders' Cup," Joseph, Jr. said. "We toyed with the idea last year when she ran third, and it will definitely come into stronger play this year." In Our Time's victory over doubled her lifetime earnings up to $1,993,305, finishing in the money in 15-of-20 starts. She also gave leading North American sire Not This Time his fourth Grade 1-winner this year, and 14th overall. She also gave Not This Time the exacta in the Ladies Turf Sprint, defeating Graded stakes-winner Time to Dazzle by 3 1/2 lengths. "She loves that course at Kentucky Downs," Joseph, Jr. said. "It's a course that some horses love, and she happens to be one of them. I wish we had more races there. I think she's better around one turn, but she was second in a Grade 1 in California going two turns as well." In Our Time has enjoyed a prosperous year during her current 5-year-old season. Three starts prior to her Ladies Turf Sprint conquest, she captured the Grade 2 Giant's Causeway going 5 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland. "This year, we decided to run her six-and-a-half at Kentucky Downs since she seems a little bit better at running shorter," Joseph, Jr. said. "It's great to get a Grade 1 on her resume. She's by Not This Time, and it's great for the ownership group." Bred in Kentucky by Brian Kahn, In Our Time was a $325,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale. She is out of the Cactus Ridge mare Laura's Pleasure, who also produced Important Mission-a stakes-winning sprinter in the Middle East. Chasing the Crown could spin back for G3 Mint Millions Kentucky Downs' all-time leading trainer Mike Maker did not rule out a nine-day turnaround for Saturday's $500,000 Tight Spot Overnight Handicap winner Chasing the Crown, who is a likely candidate for Labor Day Monday's Grade 3, $2 million Mint Millions going one mile. Owned by Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, and Angelo Carlesimo, Chasing the Crown earned his first victory since capturing last year's Tight Spot, where he equaled a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure. He earned a 98 Beyer from Saturday's race, which he won by 1 1/2 lengths over Maycocks Bay. "It's a possibility," said Maker, a two-time Mint Millions winner. "He always carries good weight, and he never looks any different. He came out of yesterday's race super." A 7-year-old son of Skipshot, Chasing the Crown has banked $1,421,205 through a record of 26-7-6-4, which includes a third in last year's Grade 1 Pegasus Turf Cup at Gulfstream Park. Bred in Kentucky by Mikhail Yanakov, Chasing the Crown is out of the Marquetry mare La Belle Marquet making him a full-brother to dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Vasalika. How's Al Today likely to jump back into stakes company following Keeneland Sales allowance win A surface switch appeared to be well-suited for Gold Square's Graded stakes-placed juvenile How's Al Today, who captured a 6 1/2 furlong restricted allowance event for 2-year-old Keeneland Sales graduates at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Famer Bill Mott, How's Al Today was a debut winner on dirt at Churchill Downs in June before finishing a distant third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 1 at Saratoga. The chestnut son of Munnings relished the grass at Kentucky Downs, sitting eight lengths off the pace early on and taking command nearing the stretch call to draw away a four-length winner. The triumph garnered a career-high 82 Beyer Speed Figure. In his first serious move following the Saratoga Special, How's Al Today breezed on the grass going five furlongs in 1:03.40 over Saratoga's Oklahoma training turf course. "When you win early in the spring as a 2-year-old, you're forced to run in a stake which isn't always a bad thing," Mott said. "Owner Al Gold [of Gold Square] likes running his horses at Saratoga, so running him there was an easy decision last time. He ran well in what was a small field, and we had an inclination that he might handle the turf. He had worked really well on the turf. I'm happy we showed up today." Mott stated that another stakes engagement would be in order for How's Al Today. "We'll certainly look at running him back on the turf, whether that's at Keeneland or somewhere else. We'll talk to the owners and come up with a plan," Mott said. Bred in Kentucky by Willis Horton Racing, How's Al Today is the first foal out of the Into Mischief mare Into Magic, who is a full-sister to all-weather Graded stakes-winner Miss Mischief.