OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While Jack and Jim won his debut on Sept. 22, his connections thought there was room for improvement. A slight equipment change helped bring that improvement out of the lightly-raced 2-year-old who validated his maiden victory with a more professional performance winning Saturday’s $150,000 Central Park Stakes by a half-length at Aqueduct.
Sitting seventh down the backside under Manny Franco, Jack and Jim launched his bid entering the far turn and came four wide for the stretch run. After taking a peek behind him to see where the closers were, Franco sent Jack and Jim after pacesetting Not for Hire, collared that one inside the sixteenth pole, and held off Smooth Breeze and Early Adopter to get the victory. Smooth Breeze was second by a head over Early Adopter, the 9-5 favorite.
Franco, aboard Jack and Jim for his debut victory against New York-breds, said the horse was more mature Saturday than he was in his debut.
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“The first time he was a little green switching leads, but today he ran straight,” Franco said. “They changed the bit and I had more control of him too.”
Jack and Jim is trained by Graham Motion, who said he switched to a ring bit for the Central Park.
“I think it made him more manageable, that did help a lot,” Motion said. “I thought he was very professional today.”
In a full field of 10, Jack and Jim was seventh, but only 3 3/4 lengths off the pace, down the backside as Not for Hire, a debut winner sprinting, went a quarter in 23.02 seconds and a half-mile in 47.59. Coming to the top of the lane, Franco was confident he had the horses in front of him measured.
“I was a little worried for the closers so that’s why I took a peak back and take my time a little bit to go all in,” Franco said.
Jack and Jim, a son of Slumber owned and bred by Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, covered the mile in 1:36.42 over firm turf and returned $6.50 to win.
Smooth Breeze was making his third start, but still ran a bit spotty according to jockey Dylan Davis yet was able to outfinish Early Adopter for second.
“I found myself behind Manny, the winner, which I knew going into the first turn in I was in great position,” Davis said. “Actually, I was moving with Manny [on the] outside, he was just a little green, he’s still learning.”
Most of these runners will likely head to Florida for either a race at Gulfstream Park or Tampa, or a break before returning for the spring turf season in New York beginning in April.
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