Ja El Express is three starts into his rookie campaign, and the Jeff Gillis trainee has yet to be defeated
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That’s music to the ears of Gillis and partner Ken Henwood, who purchased the son of Kadabra-Keystone Bluejay privately following his pari-mutuel debut in an OSS Grassroots event at Flamboro Downs.
In his first start for the new crew, Ja El Express fired home to take last week’s OSS Gold Series elimination in 1:59.1, and he lowered his lifetime record to 1:58.1 thanks to a narrow victory in Thursday’s $130,000 OSS Gold Series final at Mohawk Racetrack.
Jody Jamieson hustled the colt to the top shortly after the opening quarter flashed up in :29.1, and he maintained a short lead past the mid-way point in :59 seconds. Sombrero Hall, who had the lead at the quarter pole, was on the move in the backstretch and cleared without a tussle. That youngster took the field to the three-quarter station in 1:27.3 while being prompted along by Magic Fruit.
Trotters were fanned out five wide coming into the stretch as the leaders started to weaken. Ja El Express wiggled between horses in the late stages en route to posting the head decision over Magic Fruit, who was a game runner-up. War King Ton, who tracked cover from second over, grabbed the show dough.
“Jeff’s been working on him all along,” said Jody Jamieson. “He’s had some issues; he’s a young horse and it is just typical growing pains. They were quite evident in the race. I had to take my time getting everywhere, and when Mac [Paul MacDonell driving Sombrero Hall] came back around I really couldn’t challenge him and go with him because my horse wasn’t trotting great. He dug down deep and I think he showed his pedigree by digging in down near the wire. Once he got down and trotted half flat, he almost leveled out and I could drive him.”
Ja El Express, who was originally purchased for $17,000 at last year’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale, bumped his lifetime earnings to $104,575 with the win.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click here.