When colic struck Hambletonian Oaks winner All The Time the day after her victory it not only left her career in question, it placed her life in question. Now less than two months later, not only has the filly recovered, she's returning to the races.
On Tuesday morning at The Red Mile, All The Time qualified with trainer Jimmy Takter aboard and was victorious in a time of 1:52.1. That mile time equals her lifetime best and matches her own national season's best time for her division.
Bred and owned by Ontario's Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, All The Time (Muscle Hill - Cantab It All) was initially given at best a 50 percent chance for return to the track. Libfeld told Trot Insider on Monday that the filly has been back in training for two or three weeks.
"She's coming back really good," said Libfeld. "She actually trained with her sister, Ariana G. We're optimistic that she'll come back to form. She's not tight yet but she's heading in that direction."
With a lifetime summary of 11-5-0 from 19 starts and seven top-two finishes this season, Libfeld considers All The Time one of the top -- if not the top -- three-year-old trotting fillies of this crop.
"Her coming back will hopefully be a great story to talk about for years to come."
Her story is just part of the success story Katz & Libfeld could write about this season. Homebred siblings All The Time and Ariana G boast more than $800,000 in combined earnings in 15 starts for the owners and trainer Jimmy Takter.
"Jimmy's an outrageously outstanding trainer in all the good ways," continued Libfeld. "The mare and the sire get along as well...we plan and it worked this time."
While All The Time was on track Tuesday morning at The Red Mile, Ariana G will race on Friday. She's coming off her first career loss after making a costly miscue -- chalked up to curiosity by Takter -- in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes at Hoosier Park. Libfeld wasn't sweating that effort.
"Lexington is probably the best track in the world so we expect good things for her on Friday."
With the box closing for the Kentucky Filly Futurity on Thursday, the connections do have time to consider entering All The Time in that race but Libfeld wasn't in favour of that idea when reached on Monday.
"I would imagine that would be out of the question," stated Libfeld. "Let's get her into a couple of races and get her ready for the Breeders Crown. That will be a nice way to finish up her career.
"We're pleased that she survived, and this well. There's a Jewish proverb, 'Man plans and God laughs.' You don't always get what you want but hopefully there's a silver lining there and she finishes off the remainder of the year strong."