Ace and Jim belatedly began his career, but the 5-year-old gelding is making up for lost time quickly.
With the red-hot Gallyn Mitchell riding, Ace and Jim gained the lead into the stretch and drew clear for a two-length victory Friday in the feature race for non-winners of two races lifetime. The winner ran 5-½ furlongs in 1 minute, 3 seconds and paid $14, $6.40 and $4.40.
Trained by Vann Belvoir and co-owned by Belvoir and James Stathes, Ace and Jim finally reached the races last month. After a fifth-place debut, the Florida-bred by Snuck In has put together a second place finish and two straight victories, both the triumphs at the 5-½ furlong distance.
Slashed, ridden by record-setting apprentice Cassie Papineau, finished second and returned $7.60 and $6.20. Bijou Barrister, with leading rider Ricky Frazier aboard, finished third and returned $5.80.
Mr. Hi Q, the 9-10 betting favorite, finished a non-threatening sixth.
Mitchell rode three winners, including the late double for Belvoir, and strengthened his grip on second place with 113 victories. It was the 12th time this season that Mitchell rode at least three winners on a card. Belvoir, enjoying his finest season as a conditioner, is third in the trainers’ standings with 54 wins, and his eighth race victory with Big Sky Vatti ($7.80) was the 27th this season for owner Swag Stables.
Neither Tim McCanna nor Doris Harwood saddled a winner Friday, and with two days left in the 91-day meeting McCanna continues to lead Harwood 59-58.
Frazier, bidding for a single-season riding record, rode one winner, Gentelman Lawyer ($4.20) in the third race. Frazier has 152 wins and needs six wins in the final two days to eclipse his own record of 157 wins set two years ago.
Track notes:
• Jockey Jose Zunino, just back from Argentina, wasted no time finding the winner’s circle with a rail-skimming victory in aboard Catanita ($8) in the first race. It was the 30th win of the season for the popular Zunino, who on Sunday will receive the 2009 Lindy Award as voted by his riding peers.
• Congratulations to trainer Craig Walters for the victory with Catanita, the conditioner’s first of the meeting.
• Racing continues Saturday with first post at 2 p.m.
• Koala Beach is the even-money morning line favorite in the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds at 1-1/16 mile.
