Hialeah: Joltin Jess connects as favorite in Moonstone

Joltin Jess, stretching out to the longest distance of his 23-race career, didn’t come close to a second straight world record but still was much the best in Sunday’s $31,875 Moonstone Stakes for Quarter Horses at Hialeah Park.

Racing 660 yards on a straight course, the 6-year-old Joltin Jess ($3.40) scored a front-running one-length victory in the second leg of Hialeah’s marathon series. Ridden by Shanley Jackson for trainer Matt Frazier, Joltin Jess covered the distance on a fast track in 32.480 seconds. That’s about a half-second slower than the world record of 31.840 set in 2009 at Hialeah.

Last time out on Dec. 15, Joltin Jess set a world record of 26.033 seconds for 550 yards in winning the Crystal River Stakes. Overall, he has won 7 of 23 starts and $195,161 for owner Glenn Graff.

Frazier said it is unlikely Joltin Jess would stretch out farther to 1,000 yards in either the Key West Stakes on Jan. 26 or the Sailfish Stakes on Feb. 23, the two remaining legs of the marathon series. Instead, Joltin Jess will probably be pointed to the $100,000 Sam Abbey Memorial Invitational at 440 yards on closing weekend of the meet in February.

The Star Alert, whose most recent win came for a $10,000 claiming tag in September, finished second by a neck at 22-1. Jets Quick Fortune, runner-up to Joltin Jess in the Crystal River, finished third as the 4-1 second choice in a field of seven.