Winner of the GIII Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on the grass at Del Mar to close out 2024 after beginning the year a winner at Kentucky Downs, the well-traveled and versatile Clock Tower earned himself a shot on the Road to the Kentucky Derby but ultimately came home fourth against Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Back on the grass and back to Kentucky, Clock Tower tested the early pace in the GIII Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland last month but tired home to finish eighth at long odds. Shortened up here and dropping out of graded company for the first time since last summer, the 7-2 third choice was hustled to the lead from the middle of the gate and pressured to his outside by Jet Sweet Joe (Frosted) through fractions of :22.52 and :45.66. Unable to shake that longshot off into the far turn, Clock Tower rode the rail past the quarter pole and finally kicked on, winning decisively under Junior Alvarado.
“We were kind of looking to stay off soft turf,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “We kind of rolled the dice today that it wouldn't be too soft, and I guess it wasn't. We had him cross-entered down in Maryland [James W. Murphy on Preakness Day] and we opted for this one because we thought that the grass was soft there. I also had him entered in Pennsylvania [GIII Penn Mile] next Friday, because maybe it would be too soft today, but we rolled the dice, he was doing well and it proved alright for us.”
One of 47 stakes winners for Not This Time, Clock Tower is out of Hot Stones who sold to Clarkland Farm for $250,000 at KEENOV in 2016. Her now 2-year-old Authentic filly brought $80,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last year. She has a yearling Nyquist colt and went to Omaha Beach for this season.
PARADISE CREEK S., $150,000, Belmont The Big A, 5-24, 3yo, 6fT, 1:09.49, gd.
1–CLOCK TOWER, 123, g, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Hot Stones (GSW, $521,356),
by Bustin Stones
2nd Dam: Steamed Up, by Freud
3rd Dam: Midnight Tank, by Tank's Prospect
($100,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Mrs. Fitriani Hay; B-Clarkland
Farm LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Junior Alvarado. $82,500.
Lifetime Record: GSW, 8-3-1-2, $327,938.
2–Flat to Da Mat, 118, c, 3, Omaha Beach–Deadline, by Flat
Out. ($80,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-JP Racing
Stable and Wexford Racing; B-Jeff Kerber (KY); T-Michael J.
Maker. $30,000.
3–Insubordination (Ire), 118, c, 3, Bungle Inthejungle
(GB)–Chabelita (GB), by Lawman (Fr). (€11,000 Wlg '22
GOFNO1; €62,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR2). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Two
Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing LLC and Kaleta Racing;
B-Patrick Thompson (IRE); T-George Weaver. $18,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, HF. Odds: 3.65, 42.75, 21.60.
Also Ran: Jet Sweep Joe, Assertiveness, Supersonic Blue, Warheart, Pivotal Moment, Super Swift. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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