Timeisonmyside will be looking for his sixth straight victory when he steps up in class to the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on Saturday, May 4. The event kicks off the year’s rich sires stakes season at The Meadows, with three $51,257 USD divisions.
The 14-race program also features a PA Stallion Series stakes for sophomore colt and gelding pacers, split with three $20,000 USD divisions. The stellar card is part of The Meadows’ fun-filled Kentucky Derby Day celebration, which also features a Derby hat contest with prizes up to $1,000 USD, a balloon artist, giveaways, food and drink specials, live music all day, paddock tours and starting gate rides — all followed by the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby.
First post is at the special time of 11:30 a.m.
Timeisonmyside generated considerable excitement at the 2022 Harrisburg yearling sale, where the son of Captain Crunch-Macharoundtheclock was hammered down for $165,000 to Anthony MacDonald for his fractional ownership groups. Some of the enthusiasm could be attributed to his strapping good looks, the rest to his family. He’s a half to the terrific Sweet Lou millionaire Fourever Boy. Yet Tim Twaddle, who conditions both, says there’s little physical similarity between the half sibs.
“Timeisonmyside is bigger and longer and covers the ground very easily,” said Twaddle. “Fourever Boy is more compact.”
For all that early excitement, Timeisonmyside’s freshman season was disappointing — four starts, one win — and Twaddle, who didn’t have him at two, thinks he knows why.
“He had no soundness issues, but he was immature and didn’t have the greatest attitude,” said Twaddle. “They gelded him at the end of last year and he’s come back wonderfully. He’s been brought along nicely. He hasn’t had to face any crazy tough competition.”
That all changes on Saturday. In Timeisonmyside’s last race, he captured the final of the Tom Kirwan Memorial Pace at The Meadows. That’s a nice title to be sure, yet the competition he’ll likely face the balance of the year is significantly stiffer.
“He needs to be tested,” said Twaddle. “It will be good to see what’s up against these sires stakes horses. If he’s able to handle them, he’ll have some nice Grand Circuit opportunities this year, including the Delvin Miller Adios and the Little Brown Jug.”
Upholding the family honour is still another incentive for Timeisonmyside, as his dam recently succumbed to colic at age 14. That’s a great loss for her owner, Seth Rosenfeld’s Birnham Wood Farms, for Twaddle and for harness racing.
“She had ‘Hall of Fame Broodmare’ written all over her,” lamented Twaddle.
Timeisonmyside leaves from the rail in Race 4 with MacDonald aboard. The stakes features a couple familiar names: Rose Run Zeke, runner-up in last year’s PASS championship, and Hugh Heston, who won a PASS consolation on that card. They’ll clash in Race 6. Free program pages for Saturday's card, courtesy the MSOA, are available here.
(With files from Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)