Glen Hill Farms’ homebred Old Time Hockey rallied to catch My Best Brother in
the final strides of Saturday’s Grade 2, $147,000
La Jolla
Handicap, registering his first stakes victory with a nose decision over the
Del Mar turf. Joe Talamo delivered the well-timed ride for trainer Tom Proctor,
and the three-year-old Smarty Jones gelding completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 2/5.
After finishing third behind My Best Brother in the first division of the
opening-day Oceanside Stakes, Old Time Hockey gained a measure of revenge as the
5-2 second choice among four rivals and paid $7.60 and $3.20. There was no show
betting in the short field. Old Time Hockey broke his maiden this spring on
Gulfstream Park’s turf in his fourth career start and captured a grass allowance
at Hollywood Park three starts later. He was making his second stakes attempt
Saturday and has now earned $200,228 from a 9-3-2-2 career line.
My Best Brother showed speed as expected from the start, quickly sprinting
clear a few strides out of the gate, and completed the opening quarter-mile in a
reasonable :23 4/5 with a 4 1/2-length cushion. Chips All In was racing in
second, 1 1/2 lengths better than Old Time Hockey in third, and Blingo brought
up the rear.
Sensing the need to keep My Best Brother from running off, his three
challengers began to narrow the gap as the field straightened into the
backstretch. The pacesetter reached the half-mile point in :47 4/5 on a
one-length advantage as Chips All In and Old Time Hockey closed in, but My Best
Brother responded when challenged and kicked clear by a couple of lengths
rounding the bend.
Old Time Hockey swung widest of all turning for home, but there was still
work to be done as My Best Brother continued to grimly hold the advantage in
midstretch. It developed into a thrilling three-horse battle late, with Chips
All In and Old Time Hockey offering a bold challenge as the wire approached, and
Old Time Hockey got up just in time to secure the win, with My Best Brother
edging Chips All In by a head for second. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to
Blingo, who trailed throughout.
The Florida-bred Old Time Hockey hails from the stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare
Grat, a daughter of Grade 1 winner Likeable Style. The 10-year-old broodmare is
a half-sister to the unraced Love Style, the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner and
successful young sire Scat Daddy. Old Time Hockey’s third maternal dam is
multiple Grade 1-placed stakes winner Personable Lady.
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