Winter Memories strutting her stuff following Garden City victory

Winter Memories stunned onlookers with her explosive late move in the Garden City (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

It was a bright and lively WINTER MEMORIES (El Prado [Ire]) and an
emotionally drained but happy Jimmy Toner who received a stream of
congratulatory visitors Sunday morning following the filly’s dramatic
last-to-first victory in Saturday’s Garden City S. (G1) at Belmont Park.

“Watching it again, I still can’t believe she got up and won,” Toner
said. “I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh, no, here we go again. Not again.’
She doesn’t make it easy, that’s for sure. But she’s fine, she’s happy,
she came back good. I was so wired I couldn’t sleep last night.
Hopefully today I’ll catch up on my sleep. Maybe I’ll get a nap in this
afternoon.”

Toner said the three-year-old filly’s attitude following her neck
victory Saturday was markedly different than her behavior following her
stunning loss when fourth in the Lake Placid S. (G2) at Saratoga, her
lone defeat of 2011.

“Last night, walking back over here she was ready to attack
everybody,” he said. “She was very different than last time; the time
before, she was mad after that race. She was aggressive yesterday, but
not mad. She was showing her stuff. She ate up good last night and was
bright this morning, as you can see. We’re in good shape.”

Winter Memories delighted her connections with her last-to-first move Saturday (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

Exactly how fast the gray lass Prado was going as she rocketed past the
entire field in the final furlong remained unclear.

“The last eighth was timed in :11 1/5, so how fast did she go?” wondered
Toner. “I don’t know. I was trying to figure it out. Someone came by and said he
thought it was :10 3/5. That’s unheard of in a race — 10 and change (for the
final eighth). It’s unbelievable, but she conceivably could have. She puts those
ears back and she just goes. She’s got a tremendous stride.”

The difference between Winter Memories’ loss to Hungry Island (More Than
Ready) in the Lake Placid and her victory Saturday, her first in a Grade 1, came
down to one main factor, Toner said.

“She didn’t have any punch in the Lake Placid,” he revealed. “She has to get
clear to have that punch. She was never clear. She was behind horses in the Lake
Placid and then ducked down to the inside, where it was really soft. With that
kind of going, you don’t really get a chance to accelerate. Your stride shortens
up and I think that had a lot to do with it. Yesterday, on firm ground, she
could grab hold and accelerate and that’s what she did.”

Toner had high praise for winning jockey Javier Castellano, aboard Winter
Memories for the first time in a race.

“Javier knew every horse in the race and what they were doing. Once (Alex)
Solis went on with Hungry Island, he knew they were all gone, and that he could
then swing her to the outside,” Toner said. “He was aware of everything. For him
to have that kind of confidence, to be able to sit on the horse for as long as
he did and just wait, is amazing. He rode her as if she was the best horse in
the race. He’s breezed her twice, but he’s been watching her. He said, ‘I know
what she can do.’ I think that’s why Javier is where he’s at today. He’s at the
top of his game.”