Davis has patient plan for Jr Shadow Boy to try two turns
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Jr Shadow Boy, the unbeaten 3-year-old who owns the two highest Beyer Speed Figures of the season at Horseshoe Indianapolis, will likely make the move to two turns later in the meet, according to his trainer, Joe Davis.
He said the opportunity could come in the $125,000 Indiana Thoroughbred Owner’s and Breeder’s Association Stallion Season. The race is for 3-year-olds at a mile and 70 yards on Sept. 30.
“I think he will go on – he trains like it,” Davis said. “He’s very rateable. I know he goes to the front and sets all the fractions, but he’s very, very kind to manage like that.”
Jr Shadow Boy’s four career wins have come in sprints, with the races all restricted to horses tied to the Indiana breeding program. He earned a meet-high Beyer of 99 on April 7, when winning a first-level allowance. Jr Shadow Boy then put up a 95, the meet’s second-best number, when defeating older horses in another allowance May 2.
“At some point, we’re looking to take on open company and see where we’re at,” Davis said. “Maybe go to Churchill or Keeneland in the fall and try him down there.”
But for now, owner Jiminez Racing Stable and Davis will stick with opportunities at home. Davis said Jr Shadow Boy, who has been ridden in all of his races by Hannah Leahey, could make his next start in the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Handicap at six furlongs on the Indiana Derby undercard July 11. The race is for 3-year-olds bred in Indiana.
Jr Shadow Boy was a $3,500 yearling purchase out of the ITOBA sale in October 2024. He made his career debut last meet, winning a maiden special weight by seven lengths Nov. 13.
“He was a nice colt as a 2-year-old,” Davis said. “We didn’t get to run him until closing day last year because he got shins on us and we had to back off of him. Just lucky we got in the last day of the meet and he ran a huge race that day – got away a little bad then just looped the field. Won easy.”
Davis said Jr Shadow Boy has improved from 2 to 3.
“He grew quite a bit,” he said. “He does everything right. He’s easy to train. He’ll work five-eighths in 59 [seconds] or 1:04 – whatever you want to do with him.”
Jr Shadow Boy made his stakes debut in his last start June 10 and was a four-length winner of the $100,000 Sagamore Sired Handicap for 3-year-olds. He covered 5 1/2 furlongs in a blazing 1:02.94 and earned a Beyer of 87.
“Super race,” Davis said. “He got a little overheated afterwards. He came out of it. We took him to the farm for about a week and he came back and he’s been real good since he’s come back from the farm.”
The Sagamore Sired Handicap was run on what ended up being the first real hot and humid afternoon of the meet. Davis said the weather will play a factor in the next move with Jr Shadow Boy.
“If it’s not super hot, there’s the race on Indiana Derby Day,” he said of the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Handicap.
Jr Shadow Boy is by Unbridled Express, a son of Unbridled’s Song who won a maiden race with a Beyer of 91 before finishing third in the Grade 1 Hopeful in 2006. The dam of Jr Shadow Boy is Mildred, who is by Hard Spun. Jr Shadow Boy was bred by Paul King.
“We bought him for a bargain,” Davis said. “He was a decent-looking colt. The stud’s been decent in Indiana. We took a shot on him, more because of the stallion than the mare. She’d not thrown anything up until him. Everything clicked, I guess.”
To this point, perfectly.
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