Pocono: Miss Jum Jabber on the verge of being a household name

The arrival of Miss Jum Jabber, a favorite in one of two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races for sophomore pacing fillies Saturday at Pocono, is hard to fathom when you consider her trainer and owner Brett Pelling hadn't an inkling of what would come from his purchase at last fall's Harrisburg mixed auction.

"I trained her last year for Order By Stables," Pelling said. "She had issues and we decided to turn her out. I was expecting to bring her back in last October and try to have her ready before February to see if she would be worth staking."

When Pelling looked to pick up the Bettor's Wish filly and take her back into training, the owner had something else in mind. "I found out that they had put her into the sale," Pelling said.

Thinking that the filly had promise, if not unlimited ability, Pelling made a calculation before the sale. "I was thinking she could be a non-winners of two type horse that for the right money was worth a shot."

When Pelling went to the auction he made an initial bid of $3,000 that eventually went to $4,000 before the bidding stopped cold.

A name change to Miss Jum Jabber followed, in homage to a real estate agent that Pelling mistakenly added to his phonebook as Jum rather than Jim.

Pelling concedes there was nothing overwhelmingly special about Miss Jum Jabber as he trained her down this winter and looked to explore the racing options in February. "I had about eight 3-year-olds with the same situation," Pelling said. "She was training well but not standing out from the group."

Miss Jum Jabber was kept eligible to the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and the Kentucky Sire Stakes program. "I also paid her into the two Grand Circuit races at The Red Mile," said Pelling, taking a minimalist's approach with his inexpensive purchase.

Pelling also nominated his filly for the Weiss Series at Pocono since she would be ready early and would meet the non-winners of two company. He had expectations she could compete with that group.

It wasn't until Pelling qualified Miss Jum Jabber that his opinion of her would change in a meaningful way. "When she came home in 25 seconds in her first start was the first time I recognized how good she could be," said Pelling "Most horses you have high expectations for never live up to them. She's been the exact opposite."

Following a loss in her first start where she raced conservatively and finished with wild abandon, Miss Jum Jabber has reeled off seven straight wins heading into Saturday's contest. She's advanced far from the level of expectations and now ranks among the top fillies in North America.

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Pelling sent her to the Weiss Series where she captured two legs.

"I had a decision to make whether to race her in the Weiss final or put her in the first leg of the Sire Stakes," said Pelling, who opted out of a lucrative purse only to find himself matched with last year's 2-year-old Dan Patch award winner Loua Dipa in the May 1 opener at Harrah's Philadelphia.

That decision looked like a mistake for the first-half of the Sire Stakes race as Loua Dipa marched to the front in a relatively slow 56 4/5 fraction, while Miss Jum Jabber trailed in seventh at the same call. The pace accelerated and driver Andrew McCarthy followed third-over cover with Miss Jum Jabber but hardly seemed to have a chance to catch Loua Dipa, who would pace home in 27 flat. Miss Jum Jabber was undeterred by the obstacles or the speed, though, and flashed a 26 2/5 quarter to take down the champion in a 1:51 3/5 mile that announced her arrival on the national stage.

Pelling's stable is always conscious of developing talent, with the trainer often sending horses repeatedly to race from the back to encourage good habits of finishing strongly on each occasion. Miss Jum Jabber used that approach to capture a Pennsylvania All-Stars event at Pocono on May 11, followed by an overnight win on May 25 in advance of the second Sire Stakes leg on June 5.

With Loua Dipa entered in the Grade 1 Fan Hanover, Miss Jum Jabber posted her first 1:50 mile over the five-eighths track at The Meadows, doing much of it on the front-end for McCarthy.

What was revealing about Miss Jum Jabber in that mile was her explosive burst of speed that saw McCarthy quickly shift her into gear right before the quarter and gain control of the race in a near instant.

"That was really impressive," said Pelling, who watched the race from New Jersey. "That's where she started to remind be a little bit of Confederate. A horse that would just turn it on every time you called on him."

Miss Jum Jabber not only had that quarter-move in her arsenal but a 53 2/5 final-half that sealed the victory.

On Saturday, Miss Jum Jabber drew post five in the first $52,977 division (race seven) and looks to continue her winning form. She'll once again do battle with Bahama Momma (post six), who was a solid second behind her in The Meadows leg of the Sire Stakes, along with five others.

Loua Dipa, fresh off a major two weeks at Woodbine Mohawk Park where she captured the Fan Hanover final in a thriller – outdueling the previously-unbeaten Be Perfect BG in a record-setting 1:48 1/5 mile - is the heavy favorite from the pole in the $53,377 second division and race 10 on the afternoon program. She could get a test from Darlin's Angel (post five), a Sire Stakes winner in May at Harrah's Philadelphia that will be making her first in nearly six weeks for trainer Juan Cano.

Pelling once again chose the Sire Stakes in Pennsylvania ahead of another race and will next send Miss Jum Jabber to Oak Grove.

"The first leg is on the following Tuesday (June 23)," said Pelling. "So, we're going to have to miss that and come back for the second leg on July 7."

While Miss Jum Jabber doesn't have a wide array of Grand Circuit stakes to compete in, she does have the Pennsylvania and Kentucky program, with Pelling hoping she can advance to the lucrative finals in each.

"We're going to be up against Loua Dipa in both," said Pelling, noting that the defending champion is also dual-eligible.

Obviously having not been a mile in the 1:48 range, it's too early to tell whether the first meeting between the two star fillies is conclusive in any way. Still, with only eight races on her card, Miss Jum Jabber has attracted enough attention and is already a major player in the division.

Pelling noted that there has, of course, been interest from buyers looking to purchase his filly.

"We've had some offers," Pelling said, "But I think we're going to keep her. With the Kentucky program there is a lot of money she can race for next year as well."

As to her Grand Circuit future, Miss Jum Jabber is not Breeders Crown eligible.

"Would I consider supplementing her?" Pelling said in response to the question. "I think she would have to win one of the Sire Stakes finals, either Pennsylvania or Kentucky."

For now, success in Saturday's race should help her secure a spot in the Pennsylvania final.