Fair Grounds Press Release

 

 

 

 

 

Off-Track Lover Romps in Boys Division of the LA Futurity

New Orleans (December 31, 2020) – Reconfirming a now obvious love for a sloppy race track, Andrus J. Pellerin’s Jimmy Two Times made it 2-for-2 locally with a dominant 7 ½-length win over heavily favored Swot Analysis in Thursday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity for state-bred 2-year-olds at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

After heavy rains rendered the main track sloppy in the matter of minutes just prior to first pot, it produced speedy times throughout the card. Sent off as 6.50-1 third choice in the Futurity for the boys, Jimmy Two Times broke running under Colby Hernandez. He dueled with Perfect Perigee through fractions of 21.83 and 45.84, while Swot Analysis, the .70-1 favorite, chased 4-wide from the outside. The top-2 continued to click along early, taking their battle to the far turn. Jimmy Two Times finally shook his pace rival in early stretch and then braced for a challenge from Swot Analysis that never came. Jimmy Two Times kicked clear mid-stretch and widened with ease nearing the line, completing the 6 furlongs in 1:12.35. Swot Analysis held second, some 2 ½ lengths over a rallying 8.90-1 Creole Charlie in third.

Jimmy Two Times, a gelded son of Half Ours, won on debut at Evangeline Downs in June but subsequently struggled in a pair of state-bred stakes, running fifth in the D.S. Shine Young in August and seventh in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile at Louisiana Downs in September. Trainer Keith Bourgeois regrouped and dropped Jimmy Two Times in class, running him in a state-bred N2L allowance here November 29. The track came up sloppy and the result was an easy 4 ½-length win. Jimmy Two Times used that victory as a springboard to his first stakes win and is now 3-for-5, with earnings of $111,240. And, needless to say, Bourgeois wasn’t complaining when the skies opened up about 45 minutes before the Futurity.

“I was hoping we’d get rain and when I looked at the forecast, I saw rain, and I was for sure very, very happy,” Bourgeois said. “He’s (Jimmy Tow Times) is getting better. In the Futurity (at Evangeline) he had a bad cold and it didn’t work out in the next two races and when we came back here, he sure ran a big race with Colby (jockey Hernandez).”

Swot Analysis was a hot favorite off a 9 ¾-length MSW win here November 27 for trainer Mark Casse but seemed to spin his wheels a bit over a track that catered to front runners. The son of Anchor Down, who was sixth on debut at Churchill Downs against open MSW foes in November, pressed and drew off in his local score, but he was further back than last time on Thursday and was put in chase mode early under Declan Carroll.

“We had a wide trip around there and he didn’t break as sharp as I’d like,” Carroll said. “He’s a lot better than that. The track is playing pretty quick and they are holding today.”