NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Split Time captures Bay Ridge to end campaign with four stakes wins

by Brian Bohl

Tic Stables' Split Time capped her sophomore campaign in impressive fashion, rallying from last to gain command out of the final turn and outkicking a charging No Hayne No Gayne in deep stretch to capture the fifth running of the $100,000 Bay Ridge for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's featured race at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Bred by Sequel Stables and a Silver member of the NYRA Starter Loyalty Program, Split Time recorded her fourth stakes win of 2018 and sixth victory in 10 starts in her 3-year-old year for trainer Linda Rice.

Off at 3-1, Split Time was last of eight through the clubhouse turn as Frostie Anne set the fractions on the harrowed main track labeled good, going an opening quarter-mile in 24.80 seconds, the half in 49.95 and three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.12.

Jockey Junior Alvarado led Split Time on a ground-saving trip on the inside along the backstretch, putting the Take Charge Indy filly in position to pass Frostie Anne from the rail entering the final turn.

With even-money favorite Bonita Bianca to her outside, Split Time was set down and gained separation in the stretch before No Hayne No Gayne, a 33-1 choice trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, challenged from the outside. Under right-handed encouragement, Split Time found more to secure the win by 1 ¼ lengths, completing 1 1/8 miles in a final time of 1:55.56.

"It didn't look that easy from on top of the horse, but everything worked out," Alvarado said. "From the three-eighths pole when I asked her to run, everything opened up a little bit. It wasn't my intention to stay on the rail. It's been a little heavy today, but I didn't have any other choice. I thought I had enough horse to get through on the rail and swim out and that's what I did. When I asked her, she was there for me and made my job a little easier for me there."

Split Time returned $8 on a $2 win wager, improving her career bankroll to more than $380,000. She arrived at the Bay Ridge from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Comely last out on November 23 at the Big A. After racing just once as a juvenile, Split Time notched another stakes win, adding to a resume that includes success in the New York Oaks, Alma North and the Maddie May.

"She was pretty far back off of slow fractions, and I was a little concerned when they went 49 and 4 for the half. I thought it was going to be hard to beat the front end," Rice said. "But she's really trained well into this race and maturing nicely. She was very game today."

No Hayne No Gayne, making her first stakes appearance in five starts, finished 3 ½ lengths clear of Unbridledadventure for second under apprentice jockey Reylu Gutierrez. 

Bonita Bianca, Frostie Anne, Pink Twist, Held Accountable and Pride of Saratoga completed the order of finish. Out of Orbit was scratched.