There’s just one thing missing on Jimmy Freight’s resume — a win in a major Grand Circuit event. Trainer Andrew Harris is hoping that will change in the next nine days.
Jimmy Freight was among 10 horses entered in the Hap Hansen Progress Pace for three-year-old male pacers at Dover Downs. A single elimination, with a purse of $35,000, will be held Wednesday (Nov. 21) and the top eight finishers will advance to the November 29 final. Jimmy Freight, with Scott Zeron in the sulky, is the 5-2 morning line favourite (Update: Jimmy Freight won his elim. For more, click here).
“Trying to get that Grand Circuit victory for him is the one thing that’s kind of eluded him,” Harris said. “He’s gotten some of the eliminations and stuff like that but other than the Somebeachsomewhere (in which he won one of three divisions) he never really got that Grand Circuit victory.
“It would be nice to get that on his record and cap off a fantastic year, even if he hasn’t won some of these big ones. He’s had a dominant year in Canada and here he hasn’t embarrassed himself once. I’ve been thrilled and happy with everything he’s done. I would really love to see him get this feather in his cap.”
Jimmy Freight has finished off the board just once this year in 19 starts (he finished fourth in the Meadowlands Pace). He has recorded 10 wins, including his Ontario Sires Stakes championship, to go with four seconds and four thirds. He has earned $665,966 for owner Adriano Sorella.
Harris, who trains Jimmy Freight in the U.S. while Richard Moreau conditions the colt in Canada, is in love with the heart of his horse – and he’s not just using that as a cliché.
“I know everyone says ‘Oh the heart of this horse and this horse,’” Harris said. “But these guys can drive him any way, and no matter how you race him he’s right there at the finish. Maybe he doesn’t win them all, but he’s not far off if he doesn’t win.
“I’ve seen him race so many different ways, and there’s never been a way that’s better than another. He’s done first up, he’s been on the front, he’s come off the pace and it doesn’t seem to matter. As long as he gets a clear shot he gives them all he’s got.”
That was never more apparent than in last Thursday’s Matron Stakes, the Messenger Stakes on September 1 and the Milstein Memorial on August 11. Jimmy Freight finished second in the Milstein and Messenger, and was third in the Matron after having led nearly the whole way. Those three losses were by a total of just over a half length.
“He’s a good little horse,” Harris said. “He really does try. He’s come up just a nose short in these major finals. He does a lot of heavy lifting and it just catches up to him at the end of the race.”
In the Matron, Jimmy Freight got the lead in an opening quarter mile of :25.3 and held the top spot until the final strides. He was ultimately nosed out by This Is The Plan and The Downtown Bus, who finished in a dead heat for the win. Dorsoduro Hanover finished fourth, beaten by a neck.
“I don’t think anybody could knock his performance, he was [really] good,” Harris said about Jimmy Freight. “Scotty did everything the right way. He looked back, saw (favourite) Lather Up was having a little bit of trouble, and tried to get away from them a little bit. This Is The Plan was able to follow and get into it and I think The Downtown Bus (on the outside) just raced unbelievable. His performance was amazing, but I don’t think Scotty was seeing that one.
“It’s just one of those things. All four of those horses were there at the wire, it was a great finish. Unfortunately we were just a nose short.”
Jimmy Freight will see several familiar rivals in the Progress Pace elimination, which will include Matron finalists This Is The Plan, Dorsoduro Hanover, Shnitzledosomethin, and Done Well. Joining that group are Milstein winner Thinkbig Dreambig, Ideal Feeling, Ideal Flip, Im A Big Deal, and Heavenly Sound.
“I don’t think there’s one horse in there that rates over the other one,” Harris said. “It’s still a wide open bunch. Even in that division I don’t think anybody stamps themselves, it alternates week to week.”
Racing will begin at 4:30 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday and the Hap Hansen Progress Pace elimination has been carded as Race 12.
(USTA)
Now that the connections of
Now that the connections of Courtly Choice have announced that their horse has been retired, I sure hope that Jimmy Freight will return to race as a four year old in 2019. It's unfair to the fans of the sport for owners to prematurely retire their horses to breed - I completely agree with Jeff Gural.