Slumber colt Jack and Jim wins Central Park

By Paul Halloran

Graham Motion is not known for having his first-time starters cranked to the max – he clicks at 11 percent in that category in the last five years – so when one of them wins, it’s worth noting.

Such was the case with Jack and Jim, a Madaket Stables homebred who parlayed a maiden win Sept. 22 into a stakes score, closing from seventh after a half-mile to win the Central Park Stakes for 2-year-olds Saturday at Aqueduct. Jack and Jim was one of seven New York-breds in the open stakes.

“I never expect my horses to win first time, but he’s a horse we’ve always liked,” Motion said. “Did I expect him to win? No. But I thought he’d run well the first time.”

Manny Franco was content to sit well off the pace set by Not for Hire, determined to get to the lead despite going wide on the first turn of the mile turf race. He led down the backstretch through a quarter-mile in :23.20 and a half in :47.59. Franco stayed inside as long as he could, taking Jack and Jim off the rail on the far turn, which proved to be the winning move.

As the leaders bunched up at the top of the stretch, Franco got first jump on the other closers, including favorite Early Adopter, who made a wide, late move under Flavien Prat, and got to the wire a half-length in front in a final time of 1:36.42. Smooth Breeze was second, while Early Adopter settled for third.

“That was super,” said Motion, who added a ring bit after his horse’s debut. “He did it really nicely. I loved where he was down the backstretch and it kind of set up well for him. Manny was in the clear. We changed his equipment this time. He was a little more manageable and that really helped. What a pro. He just did it so nicely.”

Motion trained Jack and Jim’s dam, the French-bred Monette, in her two U.S. starts at the end of her career in 2018, saddling her to a second in the Matron Stakes at Belmont and an off-the board finish in the Jimmy Durante at Del Mar. By Slumber, an English-bred $1.4 million earner who sired Motion’s Grade 3 winner Sy Dog, Jack and Jim is the first foal produced by Monette.

“I was happy when we passed the five-eighths,” Franco said. “I had separation of the horses in front of me, so I say I’m going to put my horse in the middle of the track. I see what’s going on in the turn so I decided to stay outside and I think that was the best I could do. I knew that I was going to have the horses in front of me [beat]. I was a little worried for the closers.”

Motion said he would take Jack and Jim to Florida in the next month and point for race no sooner than February.

Slumber, who stands at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, has sired three stakes winners this year. – Grade 3 turf victor Fluffy Socks and Grade 1 steeplechase winner Jimmy P are the others. Jimmy P completes his 2024 season in Sunday’s Grade 1 Colonial Cup in Camden, S.C.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2024/11/16/slumber-colt-jack-and-jim-wins-cental-park/

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Shoot It True writes comeback story in Notebook

By Paul Halloran

Trainer Wesley Ward entered two fillies in Saturday’s Notebook Stakes for 2-year-old New York-breds at Aqueduct Racetrack, both of whom had already beaten males. He opted to scratch Phoebeinwonderland and run her vs. fillies in Sunday’s Key Cents Stakes, leaving Shoot It True to take on the boys in the Notebook.

Good decision.

Off a 198-day layoff, Shoot It True, a $340,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling in 2023, showed no signs of rust, taking the lead early in the 6-furlong stakes and cruising to a 4 ¼-length win.

“She’s a big, imposing filly,” Ward said. “She’ll be much better as a 3- and 4-year-old. I told Dave (Reid, of Ice Wine Stable) she was 80-percent fit. I thought her ability would get her there.”

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Shoot It True took control in the first furlong and led through a quarter-mile in :22.43, chased by Kenny Be, who remained on her flank through a half-mile in :46.12. Once they straightened out and Dettori asked her, Shoot It True drew clear and was an easy winner. The final time was 1:10.17.

By Munnings out of the Malibu Moon mare To the Moon Alice, Shoot It True was an impressive maiden winner against the boys at Keeneland April 5, then took the lead and faded to fourth in the Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs 27 days later.

“I was hoping to get her a stakes win early in the year,” Ward said. “I ran her back off a big win. I shouldn’t have and it cost me.”

That prompted Ward to put her on the shelf for five months, bringing her back to the work tab at Keeneland Oct. 1 and giving her six workouts before the Notebook. He thought she would have a better chance than Phoebeinwonderland, who drew the far outside post in Sunday’s stakes.

“This filly (Shoot It True) is much better and to me it wouldn’t matter where we ran her,” Ward said, a sentiment echoed by Dettori.

“He was very confident, my boss,” Dettori said. “In fairness, he’s always confident, but he said she’s special. She broke really good and was good in the gate. Last time, she was a bit hot, but [today] she was very calm, broke well and got to the lead on her own terms pricking her ears. The only concern was I couldn’t get her to switch leads, but she was going forward, so don’t fix what’s not broken. She was very good. I really like her.”

Shoot It True, bred by Old Tavern Farm in Stillwater, is the fourth foal and second winner out of To the Moon Alice. Her Two for Charging won a claiming race at Aqueduct Friday. Ward picked out Shoot It True for Ice Wine Stable and Smart Choice Stable at the Saratoga sale, though he is not taking credit for being particularly clever.

“She was the talk of the sale. She’s a beautiful physical, by a great stallion. It was a Joe Johnson no-brainer,” Ward said, a reference to what the former NBA All-Star called his decision to re-sign with the Boston Celtics 20 years after the organization first drafted him.

Ward said Shoot It True would get another break, with a spring return planned.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2024/11/16/shoot-it-true-writes-comeback-story-in-notebook/

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