The Canadian Sportsman
Last Call Online
Back To Last Call OnlineJuly 14, 2011
Friday Dean thinks he knows why his trainee Big Jim races better at the Meadowlands than at Mohawk, his home track.
“Maybe just the racing style (at the Meadowlands) suits him a little bit more. There’s a bit more of a flow,” Dean said July 13, the day after Big Jim was installed as the 2-1 favourite for Saturday’s $1 million Meadowlands Pace. “You know what Woodbine and Mohawk are like — first quarter, last quarter. It’s tough unless you go to the front and make your own mile, which he’s had to do plenty of times. At the Meadowlands they race them.”
Big Jim posted his fastest time of the year Saturday in his $50,000 Meadowlands Pace elimination. Regular pilot Phil Hudon drove the colt to victory over Powerful Mist and Betterthancheddar. The mile was timed in 1:50.
“Considering he hadn’t raced for three weeks, I was pretty happy with that,” Dean said.
Big Jim is now a perfect three-for-three this year at the Meadowlands.
“Maybe I need to move everything there,” Dean said, laughing.
Big Jim has had his troubles at Mohawk. Last year, he was a top choice in the $1 million Metro Pace, but finished sixth. This year at Mohawk, Big Jim was second in his $100,000 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, third in his $50,000 Pepsi North America Cup elimination and third in the $1.5 million NA Cup final won by Up The Credit (who finished eighth in his Meadowlands Pace elimination and failed to qualify for the final).
“We were off the radar for a few weeks,” Dean said of Big Jim, who was the pre-season choice to be his class’ dominant horse. “It was kind of nice, actually. I would just as soon he kept winning, but it took some of the pressure off.”
Click on the words “Guelph Mercury” to read the article in its entirety.
Comments (0)
Print
Add Your Comment
Blog Archives
