Jeremiah Jack to try Lecomte

HOUSTON - Jeremiah Jack, five-length winner of last Saturday night's $150,000 Texan Juvenile at Sam Houston Race Park, is headed for the $100,000 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Jan. 26, said his trainer, Tom Amoss.

Amoss won the Lecomte in 1999 with Some Actor, who finished fifth in the 1998 running of the Texan Juvenile.

Jeremiah Jack won a Keeneland allowance one race before the Texan Juvenile, and the mental maturity the colt displayed in winning back-to-back races has Amoss excited about his future. "He deserves a chance at the two-turn stakes at Fair Grounds," the trainer said. "Our goal is to be competitive in the Lecomte, which I think will draw some good horses, then reevaluate."

Jeremiah Jack was one of two colts by Patton to win stakes during the Texas Champions Day program at Sam Houston last Saturday. Balkan, a half-brother to stakes winner Charlie's Beau by Patton, was a dominating winner in the $50,000 Groovy, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds. His next race has yet to be determined, said trainer Steve Asmussen.

Front Nine, who was third to Balkan after setting fast fractions, is to make his next start in the $75,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds on Dec. 31, said trainer Tommie Morgan. Earlier this season, Front Nine romped in the Riverside and Friendship stakes.