Igniter burns bright in $135K Jimmy Winkfield
Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Igniter gamely turned back the challenge of Time to Roll to notch his first stakes victory in Saturday’s $135,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a six-furlong sprint for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., the Volatile chestnut entered from a 4 1/4-length victory in a local seven-furlong optional claimer on February 11 in his seasonal bow. As a juvenile, he finished third on debut at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a one-turn mile graduation in September here and a flat sixth when stretched out to nine furlongs for the Grade 2 Remsen in December.
Igniter emerged sharpest from post 4-of-5 under regular pilot Manny Franco, but was overtaken early to track the impressive debut maiden-winner Easy Decision, who marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.78 seconds over the fast main track.
"I was pressing the two [Easy Decision], I knew that was the horse to follow,” Franco said. “I knew he'd be in front of me. I didn't want to let him go too far ahead because I was thinking he was the other horse to beat."
Approaching the turn, the New York-bred Time to Roll made a wide move to make it three across the track, and Igniter stuck his head in front with Easy Decision coming under a ride along the inside. Igniter held a head advantage as the half-mile elapsed in 46.28, but was left to grind it out as Time to Roll applied pressure with his bid in the center of the course into the stretch.
Easy Decision threw in the towel while the Jaime Rodriguez-piloted Time to Roll was all-out as he gave game chase passing the eighth pole through five-eighths in 58.13, but Igniter dug in professionally to keep his foe at bay and cross the wire one length in front in a final time of 1:10.36.
Time to Roll held second by a half-length over the late-running Blue Forty Two with Tiger Rocket and Easy Decision completing the order of finish.
Dutrow, Jr. said he was pleased to see the trip Franco worked out when Time to Roll took a stalking position after breaking outward.
"I was expecting other horses to go,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “Maybe the one that turned for home that was after us, the three [Time to Roll], I was hoping he would show early speed and we could sit off them two, but he [Igniter] broke so well and Manny just improvised and sat right off the other horse and gave him a great ride. The horses came to him, and our horse dug in. It was professional, man. All good."
Franco said Igniter performed impressively at what is likely not his ideal distance.
"I wanted to make sure he broke good. The distance is a little bit against his running style. I think he wants to go a little farther,” Franco said. “That's why I warmed him up good, broke running, he broke good, he broke sharp. After that, I was just sitting on him. From the five-sixteenths to the quarter-pole, someone attacked me, it was Jaime, my horse responded quick and dug in to the wire.”
Dutrow, Jr. added that a return to seven furlongs could be next for Igniter in the Listed $150,000 Bay Shore on April 18 here.
"I'm proud of him. He dug in,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “This might not be his best game - seven-eighths next time for the Bay Shore, he's done that. Good timing as long as he comes out good. We're very proud of him. Very happy. He ran big. He broke well, best he's ever broke; learning how to be a racehorse."
Igniter is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Malibu Prayer, who is a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Valid. He improved his record to 5-3-0-1 and banked $74,250 in victory while returning $3.34 on a $2 win ticket as the 3-5 mutuel favorite.
Jaime Rodriguez said the Horacio De Paz-trained Time to Roll appreciated the outside trip in his open-company debut.
"He settled a bit today and the race set up perfect,” Rodriguez said. ‘I kept him outside, in the clear, waited for the moment to make the run, once he made the run by the quarter-pole, the winner just dug in again. He beat me running. Maybe next time we will get it done.”
Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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