NEWS
Twilight Meteor back in top form in Tropical Turf triumph
Posted: Saturday, December 04, 2010 6:49 PM
TWILIGHT METEOR
Jim Lisa Photo
For video of the Tropical Turf Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
Twilight Meteor battled bravely in the closing strides of the $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap (G3) to hold off fast-closing Canadian champion Rahy’s Attorney on Saturday at Calder Race Course.
The six-year-old Smart Strike horse set a measured pace in the 1 1/18-mile turf race under Luis Saez and charged into the stretch with plenty of stamina in reserve at 15-to-1 odds. Rahy’s Attorney, who was caught wide throughout the race, closed with a powerful rush on the outside but could not reel in Twilight Meteor, who was making his second start for trainer Marty Wolfson.
Owned by John Fort’s Peachtree Stable, Twilight Meteor completed the distance in 1:46.85 on firm turf. Previously trained by Todd Pletcher, Twilight Meteor returned from a layoff of more than 19 months with a third-place finish on October 23 in an allowance race at Calder. Before his comeback race, Twilight Meteor was last seen winning the Canadian Turf Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park before being retired to stud at Saratoga Glen in New York.
“The plan was for him to go to stud after his career with Todd [Pletcher], but the market just wasn’t there, particularly for a turf horse,” Wolfson said. “When John offered me the chance to try and bring him back to the races, I was delighted.
“That one race after being off 19 months obviously did him a lot of good.”
Twilight Meteor earned his fourth career stakes win with the Tropical Turf triumph and improved to five wins, four seconds, and four thirds from 19 starts. He has earned $636,944 in five racing seasons.
“Mr. Wolfson told me that this horse likes to run close to the lead, he doesn’t have to be in front, but close to it. He was running very comfortably, so I just let him be there,” Saez said after Twilight Meteor set the pace through a half-mile in :47.98 and six furlongs in 1:11.69. “He made the lead easily and in the stretch, when he sensed the pressure of horses chasing him, I could tell he wasn’t going to let them pass.”
Bred in Ontario by Kinghaven Farms, Twilight Meteor is out of the With Approval mare One Over Prime, a half sister to 2000 Canadian champion two-year-old filly Poetically, 1997 Canadian champion two-year-old filly Primaly, Grade 1 winner Citronnade, and top Canadian sire Whiskey Wisdom.
Rahy’s Attorney, Canada’s champion turf male of 2008, finished a half-length in front of Baletti for second.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
