On Tuesday, December 17, Woodbine Entertainment announced a partnership with owner Adriano Sorella to launch the Jimmy Freight Stakes in 2023. The stakes will be restricted to two-year-olds sired by Jimmy Freight.
The new stakes will carry a purse of $100,000, posted by Sorella, and will be contested at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 2023 (exact date to be determined). Foals from mares bred to Jimmy Freight, who stands at Winbak Farm of Ontario, during the upcoming 2020 breeding season will be eligible (for more on Jimmy Freight's retirement and stallion announcement, click here and here).
Along with founding this new race for offspring of his stallion, Sorella will be a sponsor of world class Standardbred racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park during the 2020 season.
"I am very pleased to be working with Woodbine Entertainment in regards to this new stake race named after Jimmy Freight,” said Sorella. “Working with Jessica Buckley and her team at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and seeing their excitement, it made this decision an easy one."
The Jimmy Freight Stakes will have no staking payments. Only two-year-old sons or daughters of Jimmy Freight that have made a minimum of two starts at Woodbine Mohawk Park will be eligible to enter. The field shall be limited to ten (10) starters. Should more than ten (10) enter, the ten (10) horses with the highest earnings will be selected to race.
“This is unique thinking by Mr. Sorella, and we commend his enthusiasm in supporting his stallion and the Standardbred industry with this type of investment,” said Jessica Buckley, president of Woodbine Mohawk Park. “With Winbak Farm as an existing partner, we are pleased to add Jimmy Freight to our sponsorship group.”
Jimmy Freight, an O’Brien Award winner with 21 wins, $1.4 million in earnings and a mark of 1:48.1, is heading into his first season of stallion duty at Winbak Farm of Ontario. His first crop will sell at the 2022 yearling sales prior to debuting on the racetrack in 2023.
"I have been buying horses for years, and I understand that there is a big commitment when buying a yearling,” said Sorella. “I wanted to add an incentive for not only the buyers, but also the breeders who are breeding to Jimmy Freight. With this race for $100,000 it gives a breeder and a buyer just another edge as there is no risk to either. No stakes payments, no entry fees."
Jimmy Freight was one of the most consistent performers in recent memory, posting 21 wins and 43 top-three finishes from 52 career starts. The richest and fastest son of Sportswriter finished outside the top five only twice during his outstanding racing career.
The list of accomplishments for Jimmy Freight includes multiple OSS Gold wins at age two, victories in the Somebeachsomewhere and OSS Super Final at age three, and triumphs over harness racing’s heavyweights in the Mohawk Gold Cup and Dayton Pacing Derby at age four.
The Jimmy Freight Stakes becomes North American harness racing’s only race restricted to the offspring of one stallion.
“I truly believe this is something that is needed,” said Sorella. “Taking the initiative to move forward with a race like this shows my commitment to the sport. I really do believe we have some forward thinkers within the industry, I’m just trying to support my stallion, my partners, and Winbak Farm who have been great to work with."
Jimmy Freight stands at Winbak Farm of Ontario (905 838-2145) for $5,000 (CAD).
(Woodbine Entertainment)
Thank you Adriano for this
Thank you Adriano for this innovative stakes idea.
Maybe it is not revolutionary, but sure has not been tried in many years.
I am sure Murray Brown mean't no disrespect by his informative comment.
I look forward to seeing the first foals of Jimmy Freight and hope breeders are encouraged by this new stake. Maybe I will be in to buy a foal too!
Larry Timms
In reply to Thank you Adriano for this by butler
Thank you Benjamin. 30-40
Thank you Benjamin. 30-40 years is a long time between races that have a similar approach. We now have internet, social media, tv/media broadcast, online wagering, plenty of simulcast. The list goes on. I think we are on the right page.
Happy Holidays!
- Adriano.
Kudos to all concerned. But
Kudos to all concerned. But this is far from being revolutionary.
Dan Gernatt did it decades ago establishing stakes specifically reserved for the offspring of his stallion, Elitist.
In reply to Kudos to all concerned. But by murray
Where in the article does it
Where in the article does it say "revolutionary?". Of course it was done before, It has been mentioned several times about Elitist. No one has taken credit for the idea, in fact someone mentioned the idea to me and referenced that very race, and this is what got me thinking. People seem to know about it, but I didn't see anyone try it again which was strange to me. I do believe that in an age where we have a different type of "Reach" to breeders, buyers, and general investors, things can be done differently. Back in the '80's many things were different, I mean the internet itself is younger than that race. There was no social media for people to rant at any time of the day, and generally It's a different world. I know you said "The more things change, the more they stay the same". However I think more often than not, forward thinking can take something and expand to make it better. Isn't that how society works?. Let me tell you a little story. In the 80's I worked at a meat shop where immigrant families would come in and buy 1/2 sides of beef. We would sell between 110-120 sides a week. They would have it cut, portion packaged, and then put it in a freezer to last a whole season. These families still had luxuries of eating steak, they just did it on a budget and planned for the year. Fast forward to the 21st century, and people have the same luxuries, except from a menu at a steakhouse.
"The Jimmy Freight Stakes
"The Jimmy Freight Stakes becomes North American harness racing’s only race restricted to the offspring of one stallion." That's a pretty clever idea. I don't think thoroughbred racing or quarter horse racing has ever done this before, either.
In reply to "The Jimmy Freight Stakes by ichaelm
Thank you Mike.
Thank you Mike.