Two-Year-Old Gilded Time Starts Poorly, Sets Record

Overcoming some early traffic problems down the stretch and his own lack of experience, Gilded Time won the $200,000 Sapling in track record time Saturday at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Ridden by Chris McCarron for trainer Darrell Vienna, the 2-year-old Timeless Moment colt beat Wild Zone by a half-length in 1:07 4/5 for the six furlongs. The old track record was 1:08 set by Icecapade in 1973.

Gilded Time, a four-length winner over maidens July 15 at Hollywood Park despite a terrible start, will remain in the East and probably will start next in the Hopeful Aug. 30 at Saratoga.

“It’s obvious that the track was very fast today,” Vienna said. “Again, he was bad at the start. He broke in, away from the starter that was standing in there with him . . . he just doesn’t like to be in there. Chris tried to pick his way around there, staying off the rail. He still ran very greenly. He was looking up at the stands coming through the stretch. Can you imagine how fast he would have gone if he was paying attention?”