Trainer Brittany Russell: ‘This Horse Shows Up Every Time’

BALTIMORE – Following a second straight Grade 1 placing and closing in on $1 million in lifetime earnings, Hillwood Stable’s Maryland-bred and based multiple graded-stakes winner Post Time has emerged as a major player among older horses.

The 4-year-old Frosted colt was beaten a neck for second when third to Arthur’s Ride in the Aug. 3 Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, his two-turn debut, which came 56 days after he was second behind National Treasure in the Met Mile (G1) on the undercard of the first Belmont Stakes (G1) ever held at the nation’s oldest racetrack.

Trained by Laurel Park-based Brittany Russell, Post Time garnered little attention from horseplayers and handicappers ahead of the Whitney, sent off as the third-longest choice in a 10-horse field at odds of 25-1.

“We all kind of felt like he got no recognition for what he did the race before. I know we’re Maryland connections, however you want to look at it. Maybe they just sort of wrote us off a bit. First time two turns, mile and an eighth, obviously we knew it was a tall task,” Russell said. “But I just feel like he probably deserves a little more recognition than he’s gotten. This horse shows up every time. We have done nothing but throw him to the wolves, and he responds.”

Post Time has never been worse than third in 12 starts, eight of them wins, including Laurel’s 2022 Maryland Juvenile, 2023 City of Laurel, Jan. 28 Jennings and Feb. 17 General George (G3) and the Carter (G2) April 6 at Aqueduct. Maryland’s champion 2-year-old of 2022 earned $120,000 in the Whitney, pushing his bankroll to $937,910.

Among the horses that finished behind Post Time in the Whitney were graded-stakes winning millionaires Disarm, Skippylongstocking, National Treasure and First Mission and Grade 1 winner Bright Future. Russell’s husband, champion jockey Sheldon Russell, was aboard.

“We were excited. He really gave us a thrill. When Sheldon tipped him out there, for a minute I thought, ‘He might have a chance to run these things down,’” she said. “Nonetheless, it was a great third. He shows he belongs. He’s showing up in Grade 1s and he’s kind of in the division, so it’s pretty exciting.”

In fact, Post Time owns 22 graded-stakes points in the Breeders’ Cup standings, third-most in the Classic division behind Blue Grass (G1) winner Sierra Leone (30) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Preakness (G1) runner-up Mystik Dan (24). Arthur’s Ride became the fourth horse to earn an automatic berth in the 1 ¼-mile Classic (G1) for his Whitney win.

Post Time’s graded-stakes points would rank first in both the Dirt Mile (G1) and Sprint (G1) divisions, each of which have one automatic qualifier – National Treasure for the $1 million Dirt Mile and The Chosen Vron for the $2 million Sprint, contested at six furlongs. Post Time has won at distances from 5 ½ furlongs to one mile.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup is being held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar, where mile dirt races are contested around two turns. Neither Russell, who worked for trainers Brad Cox, Jimmy Jerkens, Ron Moquett and late Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard before going out on her own in 2018, nor Hillwood’s Ellen Charles have had a Breeders’ Cup starter.

“We have some fun stuff on the radar. Ellen and I spoke briefly about a couple things and we’re just going to have to see how he trains, and we’ll make a plan as we go along,” Russell said. “Looking at the options, I don’t know. There’s a couple spots, one-turn miles, that might fit a little better.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself but there’s a race in November that I might need to think about how to get him to. This is all going to be up to Ellen,” she added. “There’s a lot that goes into making a ship out west, so we’re just going to take our time making a decision. I just kind of want to get him back training and go from there.”

Russell is not anticipating bringing Post Time back north for the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) Sept. 1, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Classic. Upcoming mile races include the $100,000 Polynesian Sept. 14 at Laurel, $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Sept. 21 and $400,000 Ack Ack (G3) Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Dirt Mile.

“I don’t think we’ll be trying him a mile and a quarter at Saratoga next time. The Classic wouldn’t be on our radar. The mile and a quarter, that’s not what we’re trying here. I think he’s very good and can be very good at a mile, so I think we’re going to try and focus on that for the time being,” Russell said.

“I know his running style might be a little tricky for it, but he can handle the two turns and the Dirt Mile is not a terrible idea,” she added. “I was looking at the point system and how it all works and where he is, and he’s right there.”