Timberlake (horse)

Timberlake (foaled April 3, 2021) is a multiple-Grade winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023, as a two-year-old colt, he won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Background
Timberlake is a bay colt who was bred in Kentucky by Vincent Viola's St. Elias Stable. Timberlake was bought for $350,000 from the Gainesway consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale to the WinStar Farm & Siena Farms partnership. He is the fourth of six foals from the Irish-bred Pin Up and her first graded stakes winner.

Anthony Manganaro, the founder of Siena Farm who passed away in the summer of 2023 and his son Todd sold the farm's interest in the horse to WinStar Farm after the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Timberlake is trained by Brad H. Cox.

2023: two-year-old season
Timberlake made his debut on June 5 in a maiden special weight event over $5 1/2$ furlongs at Ellis Park. From post ten in a field of ten, he broke poorly and was spent after being four-wide to finish sixth as the even-money favorite. On his next start Ellis Park over seven furlongs Timberlake made amends, leading all the way to win by over nine lengths over West Saratoga in 1:23.38.

In the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, Timberlake started at 11/5 odds and hit the front in the stretch run but was beaten by the longshot Nutella Fella by a length-and-a-half in a time of 1:24.41. Jockey Florent Geroux said after the event, "I tried to keep him settled as much as I could. Not an easy job with a big horse like this, being right between horses, but I tried my best to keep him settled. He's not a good gate horse, he's too big. He's always been a little bit sluggish, so it's hard to establish good position with the horse that's not going to break that sharp." His connections entered Timberlake in the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. On October 7 in a field of eight, Timberlake started at odds of 5/1 as the choice in the field. After the start jockey Florent Geroux had moved Timberlake up to third in the field of eight 2-year-olds, then swung about seven paths wide to launch a bid for the lead. Timberlake grabbed the lead before the eighth pole and pulled away in the final sixteenth winning by $4 1/4$ lengths in 1:35.90 on a sloppy track.

In a field of nine starters for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Timberlake was the second choice at 16/5. Timberlake was rank to place in traffic into the first turn, settled into stride three deep, ranged up to make a mild bid midway through the second turn, but flattened during the drive with the winner Fierceness setting a fast time of 1:41.90. Timberlake finished fourth, eight lengths behind the winner.

2024: three-year-old season
On February 24, 2024, Timberlake began his three-year-old in the Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Starting as the 4/5 odds-on favorite Timberlake was in the second flight early after the start. He was between horses, three wide into the far turn, asked along by jockey Cristian Torres midway on that bend, four wide bid into the lane, put a head in front soon after. In the stretch run he drifted out a bit, kept to pressure to edge away from Common Defense in the late going. After the race, Elliott Walden, CEO, president, and racing manager of WinStar Farm paid tribute to the late Anthony Manganaro, the founder of Siena Farm and his former co-owner who passed away last summer.

Statistics
Notes: An (*) asterisk after the odds means Timberlake was the post-time favorite.