Woodbine Mohawk Park: Jimmy Freight impresses again in Gold Series triumph

How good is Jimmy Freight? Driver Louis Philippe Roy is not sure; he thought he had seen the best of the colt in his first six starts this season, but the 3-year-old pacer stepped it up a notch in Saturday’s C$96,400 Gold Series win at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

“He’s always been really good, Jimmy Freight, and tonight I think he was better than he’s ever been. He felt so good going down the stretch, could have gone a little bit faster,” Roy told Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Chad Rozema in the winner’s circle. “Like I said, tonight is the best he’s ever been, and if you would have asked me how he was a week or two weeks ago I would say he’s very good. I didn’t know he could be better than what he was actually, so tonight he really impressed me again.”

Starting from post six, Jimmy Freight got away fourth as Levis Day led the field of seven to a 26 1/5 opening quarter, but Roy was not content to sit for long. He had the heavy favorite on the lead before the 54 2/5 half and by the 1:22 2/5 three-quarters the pair had opened up a two length gap on the field. Making it look easy, Jimmy Freight extended that margin to 6 3/4 lengths by the finish and clocked a new personal-best 1:49 2/5. St Lads Neptune finished second and Levis Day took home third-place honors.

Roy drives the son of Sportswriter and Allamerican Summer for trainer Richard Moreau and owner Adriano Sorella. Jimmy Freight now boasts a sophomore record of five wins, one second, one third and earnings of C$151,900 through seven starts. In addition to Saturday’s Gold Series triumph he was also victorious in the Gold Series season opener at Flamboro Downs on May 20 and in his Somebeachsomewhere division at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 2.

“He’s a nice horse, I don’t know what to tell you, he makes everything so easy,” said Moreau. “If he races every week I never get to train him, I just jog him, that’s all.

“And if you jog him you wouldn’t be able to say he is a stake horse or what he is, because all he does is trot out there,” added Moreau with a chuckle. “You can’t even push him to pace unless you put the hopples on.”

The easy-going Jimmy Freight will make his next Gold Series start at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 22 and has been invited to the August 11 Carl Milstein Memorial at Northfield Park in Ohio.

Roy also captured the C$125,000 3-year-old pacing filly Gold division, steering heavy favorite Shower Play to another one of her trademark come-from-behind victories, reaching the wire one length ahead of Big Thong and Write Me A Song in in 1:51 1/5.

“She didn’t have a really good trip tonight, because I was kind of shuffled back in the last turn, so I was scared a little bit that I may be a little bit too far,” Roy told Rozema. “But once I moved her, she just, just by herself, she switched to sixth gear and rally home.”

Rene Dion conditions Shower Play for his partners Susanne Kerwood and Martin Leveillee. The victory bumps the Shadow Play daughter’s sophomore record to three wins and one second in four starts. In addition to Saturday’s Gold Series victory, her first, the filly was also victorious in the C$415,000 Fan Hanover final on June 16 and the Grassroots season opener on May 31, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She will be back in Gold Series action on July 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Like Shower Play, Sharp Action Money used a late sprint to capture the other 3-year-old pacing colt Gold division. Starting from post six, Sharp Acton Money got away seventh and tipped into the outer lane where he watched as four different horses rotated onto the front-end. At the three-quarters, sitting 3 1/2 lengths off the pace in fifth, driver Sylvain Filion shifted Sharp Action Money into overdrive and the gelding sprinted home in 27 3/5 to claim a one-half length victory over Sports Legend and Taste Of History.

“This horse has been racing really, really good, I wasn’t just able to give him the right trip, and tonight fortunately we were able to get the right trip,” said Filion from the winner’s circle. “When I saw a bunch of leavers I took back, got a third-over, and it worked out pretty good.”

Filion crafted the trip for trainer Murray Brethour and his partners Tony Basile and Daniel Sarafian. The win was the Sportswriter son’s second of the season and his first in Ontario Sires Stakes action.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--