It’s Our Time rides impressive debut to G1 Champagne

Double Down Horse Racing’s It’s Our Time rides a dominant debut score into Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A. 

The Champagne is a “Win and You’re In” qualifying event for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31 at Del Mar and also offers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs. 

Trained by Tom Amoss, the Not This Time dark bay was bumped at the start of his 6 1/2-furlong debut on August 16 at Saratoga Race Course, recovering to stalk the favored Hero Declared, taking command by the five-sixteenths and building a 10-length lead by the stretch call. 

It’s Our Time, while geared down under returning rider Luis Saez, extended to a 17 3/4-length victory over the Whit Beckman-trained Hero Declared in a final time of 1:15.63. The performance earned an impressive 94 Beyer Speed Figure and stood out among a bustling Grade 1 Alabama Day at the Spa. 

“That performance was certainly eye-opening,” Amoss said. “Now, he has to do it against accomplished horses. I think there is a bit of a target on his back. He has to show he can do it again because that was such a talked about race. He has a lot to live up to.”

Amoss said he liked the idea of stretching It’s Our Time out to the one-turn mile. 

“He ran an exceptionally quick time, and although he finished up with a lot of energy and galloped out very well, as a trainer, I’m training to transition him to go more distance gradually and we have this option of going a one-turn mile,” said Amoss. “That is a luxury, versus a two-turn race, which is why we are doing it.”

It’s Our Time [post 6, Luis Saez] completed his preparations with a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.40 in company with Spa debut-winner Big Dom on September 27 at Churchill Downs. 

“They went with each other, and it was a workout that we had designed for them to stay together,” Amoss said. “Neither of them were asked for a lot in the last part of the work. It was more of a stamina style work.” 

Bred in Virginia by South Gate Farm, It’s Our Time, a $425,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is out of the multiple stakes-winning Summer Front mare Shea D Summer. His third dam, Circle of Gold, is a full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Flanders – the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 1994.

Gold Square’s Napoleon Solo [post 8, Joel Rosario] graduated impressively in his six-furlong debut on August 8 at the Spa. Trained by Chad Summers, the Liam’s Map gray was hustled to a forward stalking position, taking command at the half-mile call and drawing clear to a 5 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:11.14. 

“This has been our plan,” Summers said. “He broke his maiden, then we held our tongue and skipped the Hopeful [September 1], which would’ve been coming back in 24 days. Obviously, everyone is going to know where Tom Amoss’ horse is. I think it is a little bit of a different situation for Tom Amoss than when he was under the radar against Whit’s horse.” 

Napoleon Solo’s performance earned an 83 Beyer and Napoleon Solo has worked back four times since, posting three consecutive bullets including a half-mile in 47.40 seconds on September 26 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. 

“He’s had three really good workouts going into this race,” Summers said. “The gallop outs have been the best part of the works. When you are stretching out from six furlongs to one mile with a second time starter, that is not an easy thing to do. We are hopeful he will be able to see out the mile distance.” 

Napoleon Solo, a $40,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Atomic Blonde. 

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Curtain Call [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] was an 8 1/2-length third to Ted Noffey last out in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful on September 1 at Saratoga. Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Tiz the Law dark bay was stepping up in class from a 8 1/2-length second-out graduation after slightly stumbling at the break sprinting six furlongs over sloppy and sealed footing on July 12 there.

Curtain Call earned an 82 Beyer in the Hopeful, matching his career-best from his maiden win which avenged a 7 1/2-length debut second in June at Churchill Downs to next-out Grade 3-winner Obliteration. A $325,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Curtain Call is out of the Into Mischief mare Deep Trouble. 

Casse also entered Ironhorse Racing Stable's Just Asap [post 5, Florent Geroux] off a prominent neck second to One More Freud in the one-mile Sapling on August 30 at Monmouth Park. The Maxfield bay improved to a career-best 80 Beyer from a 60 for a dominant pacesetting graduation in a seven-furlong maiden optional claimer on August 4 at Ellis Park. 

Just Asap, a $50,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the Grade 3-placed Paynter mare Movie Moment. His second dam, dual Grade 1-winner Starrer, produced Star Act, the dam of 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Just F Y I. 

Robert Cotran’s Aye Eye [post 4, Samuel Marin] generated significant buzz with an eye-catching last-to-first rally from 19 lengths back in his six-furlong debut on August 8 at Saratoga. Trained by Joe Orseno, the Essential Quality gray did not replicate the performance in the Grade 1 Champagne last out, passing tired foes for a distant fifth. 

Rounding out the field is Talkin [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Danny Gargan and the maiden Stradale [post 2, Manny Franco] for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the respective one-two finishers from a seven-furlong maiden on August 30 at Saratoga; as well as a pair of maiden winners for trainer Ken McPeek with Universe [post 3, Chris Elliott] and Stickupwithoutagun [post 7, Luis Rivera, Jr.]. 

The Champagne is slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which features two more Breeders’ Cup qualifying events with the “Dirt Dozen” Grade 1 Frizette [Juvenile Fillies] in Race 6 and “Win and You’re In” Grade 2 Miss Grillo [Juvenile Fillies Turf] in Race 8. The card is supported by the Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby Inv. [Race 4] and the restricted $125,000 Discovery [Race 2]. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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