Glitterman colt hangs on for nose victory in course-record time of 1:08

Trainer Todd Pletcher knew that Florida-bred four-year-old Texas Glitter had the speed and the class to make the grade. He just had to find the horse's proper niche.

Laurel Dash S. (G3)
Laurel Park, October 28, $100,000, 6 furlongs, turf, firm, 1:08
1-TEXAS GLITTER, c. 4, Glitterman-Come on Texas, by Apalachee.
2-Alea Iacta Est, g. 5, Polish Numbers-Kirov, by Screen King.
3-Just Call Me Carl, h. 5, Strawberry Road (Aus)-Great Escape, by Relaunch.

Having run through his allowance conditions early in his three-year-old year, the bay son of Glitterman had no place to go. On the classic trail early last year, Texas Glitter won the Spectacular Bid Stakes (G3) nearly wire-to-wire in the slop by five lengths at Gulfstream Park. But Texas Glitter never showed that form again. He lost six stakes in a row last year, five of them graded, so Pletcher gave Texas Glitter the balance of the year off.

The colt out of Come on Texas, by Apalachee, dropped back to allowance company in his June debut this year but went 4-for-4-in losses-through the summer in New York. The horse just needed a change of venue, said Pletcher's assistant George Weaver, a change to the grass.

Seven weeks ago, Pletcher tried Texas Glitter on the grass. It worked. Texas Glitter won two straight, including the William Livingston Stakes at the Meadowlands.

Over Laurel Park's firm turf on October 28 in his third grass start, Texas Glitter set a course record winning the $100,000 Laurel Dash Stakes (G3) and in the process possibly found his forte.

The certified front-runner engulfed the fast Laurel green, speeding to fractions of :21.84, :44.14, and :55.71, unpressured on the lead, then held firm to win by a nose in 1:08 flat. Second was closer Alea Iacta Est, longshot of the 12-horse field at 60.80-to-1. The runner-up was bumped hard at the start, moved wide in the stretch, and just missed catching a clearly determined Texas Glitter.

Grass lover

"He loves the grass," said rider Aaron Gryder, who was another change along with Texas Glitter's switch to the turf. "He just relaxes out there. He knows his job. Somebody said I was loafing there on the lead alone, but you can't run in 1:08 flat and say that."

Gryder sat quietly as Texas Glitter, favored at 4-to-5, broke alertly, allowing him to control the pace just off the rail from the inside post.

Although jockey Larry Reynolds applied fierce pressure with Alea Iacta Est from way outside in the deep stretch (the Dash finished at Laurel's rarely used second finish line), Texas Glitter found more for the $60,000 payday.

Part-owner Dennis Swartz accepted the trophy for himself and his co-owner, bloodstock agent Mike Ryan.

"The horse's running style makes you worry," said Swartz, who owns and operates an industrial metal finishing company in Dayton, Ohio. "I mean, you hope he can hold on. Today he did it just right."

Weaver said that although Pletcher was in Kentucky with his Breeders' Cup hopefuls, including Trippi and More Than Ready, they had already discussed their next move with Texas Glitter. Weaver said the Hong Kong International Bowl (HK-G1) may be a target after one more race on the West Coast next month.

"You never know," Weaver said, "but this horse has really moved up on the turf. I'd like to see what he can do."

A Washington Witch

Tippity Witch clearly relished Maryland's cool fall weather and the firm Laurel turf, capturing her first career stakes victory two days before Halloween in the Martha Washington Stakes (G3) on October 29. The chestnut daughter of Affirmed out of Senora Tippy, by El Gran Senor, clocked the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.21.

Martha Washington S. (G3)
Laurel Park, October 29, $100,000, 11/16 miles, turf, firm, 1:42.21
1-TIPPITY WITCH, f. 3, Affirmed-Senora Tippy, by El Gran Senor.
2-Senza Paura, f. 3, Fly Till Dawn-Inca Princess, by Big Spruce.
3-Windsong, f. 3, Unbridled-Falconese, by Imperial Falcon.

Sent off as third choice at 4.90-to-1, Tippity Witch broke alertly from the outside post in the field of eight. Rider Jose Espinoza allowed her to settle on the rail in sixth while El Raffy (Ire) set fractions of :23.95 and :48.80.

El Raffy gave way at the top of the stretch as Espinoza angled Tippity Witch outside for racing room. The Graham Motion-trained Senza Paura seized the lead briefly until the furlong pole, when Tippity Witch reeled her in for a 1 3/4-length victory, her first since an allowance win at Belmont Park on May 29. Most recently, Tippity Witch finished a game third in the Pebbles Handicap (G3) at Belmont on October 9.

Windsong, sent off as the 1.90-to-1 favorite, made a mild bid late but could do no better than third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Senza Paura.

"She's a tough filly," said Jimmy Jerkens, who took over the training of the fractious Kentucky-bred Tippity Witch from Billy Badgett in March. "She's a puller and gets excited in the paddock, but she's all business when she runs. She tries to get out, just a little, so I told the rider to keep her cozied up into that first turn. He did a good job."

Tippity Witch now has a career record of five wins in 13 starts, all on the grass, for owner Cynthia Knight. The Martha Washington victory, worth $60,000, boosted Tippity Witch's bankroll to $202,337.

Knight's late husband, Landon Knight of the Knight-Ridder publishing powerhouse, bred Tippity Witch.

Jerkens said future plans for Tippity Witch hinge on a unique "deal" he has with his father, trainer Allen Jerkens. "If it suits the owners, we switch horses between us" sometimes, Jimmy Jerkens said. "Dad goes to Florida for the winter. I don't. But I think this filly would run well there. This filly has a lot of class, and she's got potential to win some races there this winter. So she's headed down there with my dad and then she'll come back to me in the spring."