Jasper slides up the rail to take the Notebook, NYRA Photo
Mary Eddy
Ozone Park, N.Y — Head of Plains Partners’ New York homebred Jaxer found an inside seam in the final sixteenth to edge clear to victory in the $125,000 Notebook, a one-mile inner turf route for state-bred juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Graham Motion, the son of Slumber adds to a last-out graduation at third asking in a local 1 1/16-mile state-bred maiden where he pressed the pace and drove home a 1 3/4-length winner under returning rider Flavien Prat. Jaxer showed a new dimension in the Notebook, rallying from seventh in the early stages to land the one-length score over the oncoming Caroline St. Beat.
Jaxer emerged from post 6-of-10 and was unhurried as the sharp-starting Spirit of New York was soon overtaken by Twirling Lad, who skipped to the front and tucked in from the outermost post 10 to mark an opening quarter-mile in 23.31 seconds over the firm footing with Truman’s Command angling out to take up second position.
Positions remained largely unchanged down the backstretch with the field strung out in an orderly line as Prat sat patiently through a 48.17 half-mile. Funny Factor was then asked for his run from fourth entering the turn and commenced a three-wide rally in pursuit of a stubborn Twirling Lad.
Jaxer was still mid-pack through three-quarters in 1:13.26, but began to make up ground passing the chute while following the run of Caroline St. Beat until that rival opted to angle out as Spirit of New York found a seam to the inside of the pacesetter.
Spirit of New York took a narrow lead passing the eighth pole, but enough room was still available on the inside for Prat to send his charge through along the inside with all the momentum. Caroline St. Beat loomed large charging down the center of the course, but Jaxer proved superior on the rail as he kicked on to victory in a final time of 1:36.87.
“I thought there was enough room for two horses,” Prat said of his inside surge in the stretch. “I was comfortable the whole way. He traveled good the whole way around. I was able to save ground, and we got to the stretch and it seemed like the other horses kind of shifted out and I was able to go through. He was very professional today.”
Caroline St. Beat finished a nose better than Funny Factor as that pair edged Spirit of New York in the final jumps. Twirling Lad, Chummers, Tim and Sam, Cristobal, Truman’s Commander and Lawyer Mason completed the order of finish. Main track-only entrant Top Player was scratched.
Manny Franco, aboard the favored Miguel Clement trainee Caroline St. Beat, said the son of Tiz the Law will likely benefit from what was his second career start after a debut win in August at Saratoga Race Couse.
“I had the trip that I wanted,” Franco said. “I wanted to save ground in the first turn and from the three-eighths to the quarter-pole, I just wanted to get a clear run. He responded well, but he probably needed one [a race].”
Jaxer is the latest progeny of the New York stallion Slumber to find stakes success for Motion and Head of Plains Partners, which is headed by Sol Kumin. Sy Dog was a Grade 3-winner for these connections, while Kumin’s Madaket Stables owned and bred stakes-winner Jack and Jim. Kumin’s other top progeny by Slumber include dual Grade 1-winning steeplechaser Jimmy P [Keri Brion], and multiple graded stakes-winner Fluffy Socks [Chad Brown].
Slumber, who was co-owned by Kumin under Sheep Pond Partners, stands at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, NY. Jaxer is out of the winning More Than Ready mare Lost Ticket, and banked $68,750 in victory while returning $8.68 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Saturday at the Big A with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $350,000 Jockey Club Oaks in Race 7, and the Listed $150,000 Knickerbocker in Race 9. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
