Zeitlos back to winning ways in Listed Smart and Fancy

Peter Leidel’s Zeitlos found a winning stride to land back in the winner’s circle for the first time in more than one year in Friday’s Listed $200,000 Smart and Fancy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 6-year-old daughter of Curlin may have endured a 10-race win drought, but has brought forth competitive and respectable results in those efforts – including five graded placings – since a win in the Listed Skipat last May at Pimlico Race Course. She improved her lifetime record to 29-10-7-3 with a bankroll of more than $1.5 million after earning $110,000 for the Smart and Fancy score.

Zeitlos, winner of the 2024 Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America on dirt, made five previous starts on turf, including a pair of seconds in the past two editions of the local Grade 2 Caress over course and distance. Zeitlos was the 6-5 mutuel favorite on Friday after a game runner-up effort to Movin’ On Up in this year’s Caress on July 11.

"She'd run some really nice races, but that was actually her first turf win,” Asmussen said. “She was more than due. A Curlin mare - better with age, still got a couple good races left in her and we're very fortunate to have her.”

Guided to victory by the red-hot Jose Ortiz, Zeitlos emerged from the outermost post 7 and traveled off the pace early as heavy rain fell on the Spa. The Woodbine-based shipper Miss Vyvyanne sprinted up to take command in tandem with Itzel to her outside, and the pair spurted well clear through the opening quarter-mile in 22.05 seconds over the course rated as yielding.

Itzel put her head in front midway through the turn and Zeitlos waited for her cue in the four-path, ready to pounce once straightened for home with Delightful Flame on even terms to her inside through the half-mile in 47.10. The pacesetters threw in the towel as Zeitlos and Delightful Flame swept by passing the eighth pole and the latter refused to yield on the inside, but Zeitlos’ class prevailed as she drove past her rival inside the final sixteenth for the 1 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:06.44.

"The two [Delightful Flame] got a beautiful split on the inside going to the quarter-pole, so I was a little worried there, but my filly reacted and responded really nicely when I asked her to go at the top of the lane,” Ortiz said. “I was able to hold them off."
 
The Katie Davis-piloted Delightful Flame held second by a neck over the last-running Le Amazonia with Me Governor rounding out the superfecta. Itzel, Miss Vyvyanne and Praying completed the order of finish, while Capturing, Ratu Jawa and main track-only entrant Munnings Express were scratched.

Ortiz said it was only a matter of time before Zeitlos would reel in the pacesetters.

“She broke clean. I was able to sit fourth to the outside. I was very happy,” Ortiz said. “A little worried about the turf conditions, but just tried to keep it together, keep her on the bit, when I asked her to go, she gave me a good run. I knew they were going too fast. I tried to wait as long as I could.”

Asmussen praised the tenacity of the chestnut mare, even in adverse weather conditions.

"The filly really came out of the Caress in good shape and has trained beautifully. I thought this was the perfect spot and the weather didn't get in the way of her,” the trainer said. “She's a good Curlin, they don't care what they're running on."

Asmussen said upcoming targets for Zeitlos could include the Grade 1 Ladies Turf Sprint on August 29 at Kentucky Downs or a try for a second score in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America on dirt on October 3 at Keeneland.

"We'll see how she comes out of it,” Asmussen said. “If she's doing as well, she may run back at Kentucky Downs, or she'll wait for the TCA again where she's run extremely well in the past."

Davis said the David Duggan-trained Delightful Flame gave her best effort despite spinning her wheels early.

"Love riding for David and he's always like, 'Katie, don't get in a duel.' Soft turf today. When she broke, she broke well, but in a minute, she couldn't get her footing under her, so I kind of rated her,” Davis explained. “She tried to get her foot underneath herself, it took her a while, but I knew coming down the stretch she'd give me a nice kick. I was hoping it'd be a little more, but I can't complain at all."

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Zeitlos was a $775,000 purchase at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale and is out of the Group 3-winning Redoute’s Choice mare Thyme for Roses. She returned $4.76 on a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 12-race card, featuring the Grade 1 $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf – in Race 9 and the Listed $200,000 Galway in Race 10. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern. 

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