Next Stop, O'Briens For Jimmy Freight

Pacing colt Jimmy Freight emerged from relative obscurity in 2017 to capture Ontario Sires Stakes gold, and his 2018 campaign placed him on the international stage. Owner Adriano Sorella is hopeful that his stable star has more in store after turning down offers to stand his stud colt in 2019 and bring him back to the track as an older competitor.

The Sportswriter-Allamerican Summer colt’s $834,000 sophomore campaign included victories in all five Ontario Sires Stakes races he competed in, taking his 1:48.3 lifetime mark and the season-ending Super Final title. He also won a division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and eliminations of the Messenger and Progress Stakes, missing by just a neck and head in those respective finals.

"I am very pleased with Jimmy Freight's 2018 campaign,” Sorella told Trot Insider." We went into 2018 having staked him heavily to the second half of the season; you could say it was a mistake on my part, but ‘Jimmy’ definitely showed he belonged with the top three-year-olds. I had no hesitation to supplement him into the Meadowlands Pace and the Messenger Stake, as he deserved every bit of it.

"'Jimmy’s' record this year was also quite an accomplishment, having finished out of the top three just once when he was fourth in the Meadowlands Pace. He was 20 for 21 on the board with 11 wins that came by a combined 35 and 3/4 lengths. That's quite a feat."

While he carries an impressive list of accomplishments, Jimmy Freight’s record-setting victory in the Messenger elimination on August 25 ahead of Springsteen and the eventual stakes final winner Stay Hungry was one of Sorella’s favourite moments from the season. With Louis-Philippe Roy aboard, Jimmy Freight toured the Yonkers oval in 1:50.3 to shave a fifth of a second off Source Of Pride’s track record for three-year-old colts.

"I would say his record mile at Yonkers in the Messenger eliminations was a show stopper,” said Sorella. “He came home in :26.4 and set the three-year-old record there, which isn’t easy. The following week, with the open draw, he gets the dreaded eight-hole and still finished second, beat a head after racing three-quarters of the mile parked. That was a big race for him.

"The OSS Super Final was another big race. He draws the nine-hole in a field with some talented horses and still grinds out a big win after not only racing outside, but also locking wheels in deep stretch with his stablemate.

"One race that we got some flack on was the decision to put him up versus the older Open pacers in the Mohawk Gold Cup," noted Sorella. "I remember a few comments that we were ‘nuts’ for putting a three-year-old in versus the likes of McWicked and Sintra. He finished third just behind McWicked in a :49 mile with a :26.3 final quarter, and then went on to earn over $730,000 after that race. I guess you can say it pays to be ‘nuts’ sometimes.”

While it may have been considered bold to supplement the Ontario-sired three-year-old to some of the division's biggest races and face older rivals during his sophomore season, those decisions paid off dividends for Sorella, who credits the colt’s success to the talented team behind him.

"The entire team had everything to do with this horse's success,” said Sorella. “I’ve been in all types of barns and it takes people coming together without any agenda except winning to make it work. The combination of trainers Richard Moreau and Andrew Harris, and drivers Louis Roy and Scott Zeron were pivotal to the success this year. Richard and Andrew worked hand-in-hand having ‘Jimmy’ ready both in Canada and in the U.S., and they gave him every chance to be successful.

"On the driver side, Louis Roy did most of the driving here and in the States, Scotty Zeron filled in late in the season for a few races, and the momentum kept moving. Having said all that, you still need great caretakers. How lucky are we to have both Lynn Cameron here in Ontario and Leo Herrera in New Jersey. These people are the backbone to the team, and without a great team it's hard to keep the wheels moving."

The team will be on hand to celebrate the outcome of all their hard work this past season as Jimmy Freight seeks one more accolade at the O’Brien Awards Black Tie Gala on February 2 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.

“I absolutely love the O’Brien Awards, they really put on a great event and show. The facility is usually dressed like a five-star event, and everyone looks great. I have been to a couple O’Brien Awards, in fact just five years ago I won this very category with Vegas Vacation. That O’Brien Awards was in P.E.I., so it was quite the travel to get out there, but was a very nice weekend.

"I am looking forward to this year's event, I have rooms booked for friends and family. Andrew Harris and his beautiful wife will be flying in. I got a suite for an after party, and with a little luck, maybe an O’Brien for 'JimmyJets.'"

Jimmy Freight is up against Lather Up in the highly competitive Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt category. The Ohio-bred Lather Up won 11 races and more than $1 million in his sophomore season. Undefeated on Canadian soil, he also won a division of the Somebeachsomewhere, and the elimination and final of the North America Cup. Stateside, he scored wins in the Ohio Sires Stakes Championship and eliminations of the Hempt and the Little Brown Jug.

"You know when that phone rings and it’s Kathy Wade Vlaar calling its usually a good thing,” said Sorella of receiving the news that his colt was a finalist from Standardbred Canada’s Manager of Member and Stakeholder Relations. “I was extremely pleased to get the call, and I believe Jimmy Freight deserves it. He’s been right there each and every race both in Ontario and stateside, he swept the Ontario Sires Stake golds, and won the Super Final. He won the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes at Mohawk, he’s owned and trained by an Ontario trainer, and comes from an Ontario stallion. You could say that alone represents what an O’Brien candidate should be. But I believe he did much more and although he’s in tough company, he deserves this nomination."

Beyond the O'Briens, Jimmy Freight will be returning to the races as a four-year-old. Although a stallion deal has been discussed, harness racing fans will get to see more of the star in 2019.

"I was in talks with a couple breeders both in the U.S. and Canada. I had spoken to Tom Grossman of Blue Chip Farms just after the Harrisburg sale and he put together a Prospectus that was sent out to other breeders, big and small. The general consensus was to see if there was any interest in syndication," explained Sorella. "I own 100 percent of ‘Jimmy’ and although I was flexible on the deal, I still was looking to syndicate a portion of the stallion. I was already in talks to buy up some mares, in fact I had already started amassing my own broodmare band that I had planned on breeding to ‘Jimmy.’ Eric Cherry was also of help, we spoke at all hours with the intent of possibly sending Jimmy to Ohio. However, we really started the process too late and I just figured we might be better off racing his four-year-old season.

"I do believe he will still get a deal done, but right now we are focused on racing this coming 2019, then taking care of business afterwards."

Standardbred Canada will present the 30th edition of the O’Brien Awards on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale Hotel. Tickets and program ads are now on sale and can be purchased by contacting the Member & Stakeholder Relations Department at 905-858-3060. Tickets are $200 each (includes HST) and include a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, wine, and complimentary portrait.