Jackson Bend worked a half mile at Saratoga ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Staying at Saratoga, the 4-year-old Nicholas Zito trained colt, Jackson Bend continued his preparations for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile over at the Saratoga training track on 27 October, 2011.
The Florida bred son of Hear no Evil, out of s**y Stockings by Tabasco Cat, Jackson Bend has first preference in the Dirt Mile and second preference in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and both races will be run on 5 November, 2011, at Churchill Downs.
Robert LaPenta and Fred Brei’s Jackson Bend worked a half mile in 47 2/5 seconds over at a surface which was labelled good.
Despite a couple of hiccups during the season, Jackson Bend has down quite well in his 2nd year of racing. He started off dull in his season opener at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on dirt on 12 March, 2011.
He finished a non threatening fifth in that race, but bounced back amazingly to finish second in her second race of the season in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes also at Gulfstream Park over at 1 3/16 miles.
S. S Stone won the Skip Away on 3 April, 2011, while over at a mile Jackson Bend was still having all sorts of trouble as he turned in a seventh place finish in his next start in the Grade 3 Miami Mile on turf.
From then onwards, Jackson Bend improved dramatically as he went further than a mile to compete in the 1 1/16 mile long Memorial Day Handicap switching back on dirt.
Jackson Bend finished third and won went on to win back to back races in the James Marvin Stakes and Grade 1 Forego Stakes, both over at seven furlongs and both were run at Saratoga.
In these two races, Jackson Bend defeated the likes of top sprinter Jersey Town in the Forego Stakes and Hamazing Destiny in the James Marvin Stakes.
The 4-year-old colt is coming off a second place finish behind Uncle Mo in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park on 1 October, 2011, over at a mile. In the process he defeated his old enemy Jersey Town who finished third on the day.
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