Two of the most popular older horses on The New York
Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit will star on Opening Day at Saratoga
Race Course when Jackson Bend and Caixa Eletronica take on five other seasoned
sprinters in Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000 James Marvin.
The
James Marvin, the first of 35 graded stakes during the 40-day meet which runs
through September 3, shares the 10-race card with the 94th running of the Grade
3, $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies.
Jackson
Bend was 2-for-2 last summer at the Spa, using his victory in the James Marvin
as a stepping stone to his first Grade 1 triumph in the Forego on closing
weekend. The 5-year-old son of Hear No Evil, trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito
for Robert LaPenta, this year went on to garner wins in the Grade 3 Hal’s
Hope at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack,
and in his most recent start finished fifth behind Shackleford in the Grade 1
Metropolitan Handicap.
“He’s
hanging in there,” said Zito of the diminutive chestnut. “Tough
little horse. It was a good race for him last year, start of a comeback.
Everything’s good. Hopefully, he gets a good race, and a good break, good
trip, and some good luck.”
Jackson
Bend, the 7-5 morning-line favorite, will have the services of Rosie Napravnik
for the first time in the James Marvin.
Owned
by Mike Repole and trainer by Todd Pletcher, Caixa Eletronica was also twice
victorious at the Spa last year, taking starter handicaps at six furlongs and 1
1/8 miles. This year, the 7-year-old son of Arromanches is 3-0-1 from six
starts, including wins in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic – which made
him a millionaire – and the Grade 2 True North Handicap at Belmont Park last time out.
“Usually
I get nervous when my horses run; with him, I’m entertained,” said
Repole. “He’s a throwback horse. He can win at any distance, any
weather condition. Here’s a horse who ran in $16,000 claimers, and he’s
won graded stakes from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles at age 7. He’s the
kind of horse that drew me to the game to begin with.”
Having
drawn the rail under Javier Castellano, Caixa Eletronica was listed as the 5-2
second choice on the morning line.
Making
his second start in a graded stakes is Darley Stable’s Crossbow, who was
fifth behind Caixa Eletronica in the True North on June 9. The 4-year-old
Bernardini colt opened 2012 with a pair of inner-track optional claiming
victories at Aqueduct, earning a career-high 104 Beyer Speed Figure on February
9.
At
6-1 on the morning line, Crossbow will leave from post position 4 with Ramon
Dominguez aboard.
Rounding
out the field for the James Marvin are Golddigger’s Boy, who was fifth to
Jackson Bend in last year’s Forego and who most recently was second in
the Donald LeVine Memorial Handicap at Parx Racing on June 23; Pacific Ocean,
who led through the opening stages of the True North before fading to finish
sixth; Scotus, third in the Opening Verse on the turf at Churchill Downs on
June 9 last time out, and Zero Rate Policy, making his Spa debut.
The field for the Grade 3, $100,000 James Marvin:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
Jockey
|
Wgt
|
Trainer
|
Odds
|
|
1
|
Caixa Eletronica (KY)
|
J Castellano
|
123
|
T A Pletcher
|
5-2
|
|
2
|
Scotus (KY)
|
A Garcia
|
119
|
K G McPeek
|
12-1
|
|
3
|
Golddigger's Boy (PA)
|
J Lezcano
|
119
|
R Preciado
|
10-1
|
|
4
|
Crossbow (KY)
|
R A Dominguez
|
119
|
K P McLaughlin
|
6-1
|
|
5
|
Pacific Ocean (KY)
|
J Rosario
|
119
|
R E Dutrow, Jr.
|
5-1
|
|
6
|
Zero Rate Policy (FL)
|
E Castro
|
119
|
T M Pompay
|
20-1
|
|
7
|
Jackson Bend (FL)
|
R Napravnik
|
123
|
N P Zito
|
7-5
|