Jackson Bend to over look the Mile and go for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint
The 4-year-old Hear No Evil colt, Jackson Bend has done really well over at seven furlongs in the recent past, when he managed to bring home the James Marvin Stakes and Grade 1 Forego Stakes, both run at seven furlongs.
Before the post positions were assigned and entries were made, Jackson Bend was cross entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and his connections mulled over which race best would suit Jackson Bend.
On 31 October, 2011, trainer Nick Zito decided that his 4-year-old would be best suited for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
The Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint is run over at six furlongs, and Jackson Bend hasn’t run over that distance since August 2 years back in his juvenile year, when he bagged the six furlong long Florida Stallion Dr. Fagger at Calder racecourse.
This year Jackson Bend has shown how versatile he is, as he has run over distances ranging from 7 furlongs to 1 3/16 miles. This year Jackson Bend has tried the 1 mile distance, 1 1/16 mile, 1 3/16 miles and 7 furlongs.
Out of s**y Stockings by Tabasco Cat, Jackson Bend was being targeted toward the Breeders’ Dirt Mile ever since he won the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at seven furlongs. As a prep race Nicholas Zito tested Jackson Bend over at a mile in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap
but he finished second behind Uncle Mo.
There were numerous reasons why Nicholas Zito chose the Sprint over the Mile. The depth of the Breeders’ Cup Mile would’ve been too much to handle for Jackson Bend, the early pace in the Sprint should suit Jackson Bend’s style of running.
The most important one of them all is that a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint most likely could earn Jackson Bend an Eclipse Award.
Nicholas Zito did ask owners Bob LaPenta and Fred Brei to weigh the options before the pre entry time, and the option of the Sprint weighed heavier considering all of the above.
Jackson Bend is a good sprinter and the Mile is an extremely tough race, and it was a good decision by Zito to keep Jackson Bend to his strengths.
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