Jimmy Blue Jeans, I’mgonnabesomebody meet again in Joseph Grace Stakes

Jimmy Blue Jeans raced within a length of pacesetter I’mgonnabesomebody through the stretch of the Sam Spear Memorial Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Labor Day, eventually settling for second to that rival by three-quarters of a length. The rematch occurs Saturday at Golden Gate in $50,000 Joseph Grace Stakes, like the Sam Spear Memorial at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Jimmy Blue Jeans and I’mgonnabesomebody are only two contenders in a field of older horses with several potential winners.

Freeport Joe, the impressive winner of an allowance race on the Golden Gate Fields synthetic track on Sept. 30, won the All American Stakes on the Tapeta in May. A Man’s Man, claimed for $8,000 in May, won his sixth consecutive start in the Bull Dog Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt at the Big Fresno Fair on Oct. 16 and is in career-best form.

:: Bet the Breeders' Cup with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs. Join DRF Bets.

Kanderel has raced against tougher horses in Southern California in recent months, and returns to Golden Gate Fields for the first time since a win in the 2020 Alcatraz Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf.

Black Caspian, Harmon, and Lammas are the other runners, all capable of a top-three finish on their best days.

The surface is the major unknown regarding the Grace Stakes. There is the potential for rain, which may force the race to the synthetic main track.

Trainer Andy Mathis wants a turf race for Jimmy Blue Jeans.

“I think on the turf we have a chance,” Mathis said, adding that if the race is run on Tapeta, he would be worried about Freeport Joe.

Mathis passed stakes opportunities at Fresno and Santa Anita in the last month with Jimmy Blue Jeans to focus on the Grace.

“I wanted to go in with fresh legs,” he said.

I’mgonnabesomebody, trained by Bill McLean, is winless in two starts since the Sam Spear Stakes, his first stakes win. He finished second to Freeport Joe on Sept. 30 and third in the Bull Dog.

A Man’s Man’s winning streak includes one race on turf, two on Tapeta and three on dirt. A Man’s Man’s won an allowance race at a mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields in late September prior to his win in the Bull Dog Stakes.

Trainer Jack Steiner thinks the 1 1/16 miles suits A Man’s Man, whether it’s on turf or Tapeta.

“He came out of that Bull Dog great,” he said. “He’s a sharp, classy horse.”

A Man’s Man has a new rider in Evin Roman. He replaces Assael Espinoza, who is riding Freeport Joe. Espinoza has ridden Freeport Joe since the summer of 2021, and has been aboard A Man’s Man for nine of his last 10 starts.

“I’m not going to tell Evin how to ride,” Steiner said. “I’ll leave it in his hands.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.