Calmer Joey Freshwater shows improvement with Bay Shore triumph
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Linda Rice calls Joey Freshwater a quirky horse who still has a lot to learn.
On Saturday, Joey Freshwater was a little less quirky and a lot more professional as he took advantage of a sweet setup to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Aqueduct.
Sitting third behind dueling leaders Victory Way and Prove Right, Joey Freshwater, under Kendrick Carmouche, took the lead five-sixteenths from home, and shook off a stubborn Victory Way in deep stretch to win the Bay Shore. Gilmore, off slow, came with a late run to get second by a nose over Victory Way.
Expected Value finished fourth and was followed by Daydreaming Boy, Prove Right and Arrebato.
The win was the third from six career starts for Joey Freshwater, second from four starts since Rice claimed him for $50,000 last November at Churchill Downs.
“He’s getting more professional each race,” Rice said. “I was happy that he ran as well as he did, he switched leads better today than he did in the [Jimmy] Winkfield, I was also happy that he performed so well without Lasix, that’s been a subject of debate.”
Carmouche, who had ridden Joey Freshwater to a victory on New Year’s Day, said he gave Joey Freshwater a lighter warmup than usual to try and calm the anxiousness the colt displayed in previous races.
“In the post parade he used to tend to get a little anxious and get a little nervous, but I jogged him most of the post parade, kept him calm,” Carmouche said. “After that he was good to go.”
Joey Freshwater was never more than 1 1/2 lengths back and, coming into the stretch, he had to battle with Victory Way, who had put away Prove Right after a half-mile in 46.81 seconds. Joey Freshwater, trying seven furlongs for the first time, gradually edged away from a tiring Victory Way, who was making just his second start.
“The seven-eighths went perfect for the horse, I just wanted to make sure I made the last eighth of a mile with this horse and he did,” Carmouche said. “I’m just glad he got fight in him because I think that’s what made him a winner today.”
Joey Freshwater, a son of Jimmy Creed owned by Steve Sigler’s Winning Move Stable, covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.91 and returned $8.30 to win.
Rice said she would point Joey Freshwater to the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 10 at Belmont Park.
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