November 17, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
2 Much 2 Handle
Two names, two starts, two wins.
That’s been the story so far for 2-year-old colt Jack and Jim, who looked wise beyond his years in a determined come from behind Central Park Stakes score.
Making his stakes debut with only one career dash under his belt, Jack and Jim more than looked the part in Saturday’s $150,000 Central Park at Aqueduct.
Fending off immense early pressure from rivals Davy Crockett (9-1) and Not for Hire (7-1), the Manuel Franco mount remained steady and fought gamely to cross the finish line a half-length ahead of 13-1 long shot Smooth Breeze.
The stellar showing from Jack and Jim paid $6.50.
Only a Matter of Time
Wicked Django had been as consistent as they come through his first 11 starts, landing in the money in eight of them (2-2-4).
But the 4-year-old colt was still searching for that elusive breakthrough at the graded stakes level (0-for-3 with a pair of thirds).
That moment finally came for Wicked Django, in the most unexpected of circumstances, on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack.
Closing as the longest shot (24-1) in the star-studded Grade 2 $175,000 Autumn Stakes, the wily veteran came from the rafters to shock 2-1 favorite Dresden Row for the 1 ¼-length triumph.
The monumental victory was equally memorable for bettors, as Wicked Django’s heroics paid $50.40.
How Amusing
Shoot It True (5-2) decided to make the $100,000 Notebook Stakes look more like a comedy than a drama with an effortless 4 ¼-length score.
Heading in, the 2-year-old filly’s third career voyage was touted as a tightly contested match between a trio of equally deserving challengers (3-2 Man in Finance and 5-2 Kenny Be).
However, Shoot it True didn’t see it that way, and instead, treated Aqueduct’s Saturday afternoon crowd to a masterclass in racing.
The gate-to-wire effort, and first stakes tally of the rookie’s career, paid $7.40.
Nobals About It!
Saturday’s $182,000 Kennedy Road (G2) at Woodbine may have featured a field of six, but it really was a two-horse race between expected clubhouse leader Patches O’Houlihan (4-5) and second choice Nobals (3-1).
Leaving from posts one and four, respectively, the standout duo hung side by side throughout the 6-furlong tilt.
It was not until the late stages that one made a decisive move for the lead and never let go.
That undaunted competitor was Nobals, who steered clear of his contemporary by three-quarters of a length for his first victory of 2024 (four starts).
The 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) champion paid $8.40.
The Scenic Route
Laurelin (IRE) tested the patience of bettors with a gradual climb to the front of the pack in Sunday’s $135,000 Tepin, but it all counts the same.
Under the hand of veteran rider Kendrick Carmounche, Laurelin remained perfect through two starts with a half-length nod over 9-1 foe Five G.
Although the sample size is small, the 2-year-old filly has certainly pressed all the right buttons in the early goings.
The newly minted stakes winner finds herself trending up as the calendar year soon draws to a close.
Laurelin paid a cool $10.80 for the Tepin triumph.