Jimmy Bond brilliant since claim

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Jimmy Bond is a neck from rolling a perfect Oaklawn Park meet, and on Thursday he can win for the third time this meet in the featured ninth race. The 1 1/16-mile optional claimer drew a field of eight horses, and .

Either horse is capable of winning Thursday, but Jimmy Bond might be able to secure an uncontested lead. He was a wire-to-wire winner of a $30,000 claiming race three starts ago in his first start at the meet Feb. 12. He returned one race later and captured an optional claiming race on the front end March 2.

In his only other start at the meet, Jimmy Bond was second by a neck to Copy My Notes in an optional claimer March 16.

"He got beat by a nice horse," said Dick Bright, who trains Jimmy Bond.

Bright claimed Jimmy Bond for $15,000 during the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs on Jan. 15. He won by 11 1/4 lengths that day, and went on to win his next two starts at Oaklawn.

"It was just kind of an omen I ended up with him," said Bright. "Had I not known the mare, I would have never claimed him."

Bright said he used to train for Ed Dullea, who bred Jimmy Bond. He respected how Dullea continually upgraded his stock. The 5-year-old Jimmy Bond is by Miesque's Son out of the Pleasant Colony mare Pleasant Bonnie.

"He's not a big horse," said Bright. "He's out of a Pleasant Colony mare, and most Pleasant Colony horses are rather large. He took after his daddy, who is a son of Mr. Prospector."

Bright and Dullea became friends back in the early 1980's, and Dullea was around when Bright raced Petrified Wood, who won four races during one meet at Oaklawn in 1983. "Ed got in all my win pictures," said Bright.

Bright said Jimmy Bond is a candidate later this year for the Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park.

"I don't know how good he is," said Bright. "I've never leaned on him hard enough to find out. I haven't really asked him to do anything, at this time, that he couldn't do easily."

Terry Thompson has been named on both Jimmy Bond and Akanti.