AJAX DOWNS, JULY 7, 2021 - FIRING RED JESS provided his owner George Coleman of Peterborough, ON with his first Quarter Horse stakes win with a victory by a long nose in the $30.600 Picov Maturity for older horses at Ajax Downs on July 7.
Day four of the 2021 Ajax Downs season welcomed fans back to the track for the first time since the fall of 2019, adding exciting buzz to the day. Those who bet on 21 to 1 shot Firing Red Jess were rewarded with a $44.30 win payout for a two-dollar bet.
Trained by Scott Reid of Bowmanville and ridden by Josh Scott, the Ontario sired and bred Firing Red Jess chased even-money favourite Had to Be Ivory, the 2019 Ajax Downs Horse of the Year early in the 300 yard race. Had to Be Ivory and jockey Cory Spataro, breaking from post position one, was leading right before the finish before Firing Red Jess surged to steal the win. Countrys Comin Back finished a charging third. The time for the race of 15.302 was good for a hefty 98 speed index.
"He’s a really nice horse and we’ve known he’s had it in him for a long time now," said assistant trainer Carly Furlonger. "It is awesome for him to really show up in a stakes race. We're so happy for Mr. Coleman. He is always at the track to watch his horses run and has been so close to a stakes win before. It's awesome to get the win for him."
It was the first win of the 2021 Ajax Downs season for trainer Reid and jockey Scott, who recently won his first Thoroughbred race at Woodbine racetrack.
Bred by Guylaine Paquin, the 6-year-old Firing Red Jess has now won seven of 27 races and over $102,000. He is a son of Ontario stallion Mr Jess Tex from the mare Easily Holland by Holland Ease.
Earlier on the card, SPY FOR THE SENATE won the first leg of the QROOI Distance Series worth $20,320. Owned by Burlington's Milena Kwiecien and trained by Jason Pascoe, Spy for the Senate and jockey Ismael Mosquiera flew to a three-quarter length win in the 350-yard dash for his second win in as many starts in 2021. The 5-year-old horse was winning for the 10th time in 31 career starts and he has earned over $150,000.
Fans are invited to register at
www.ajaxdowns.com to attend the races next Wednesday, July 14 with a first race post time of 1:30 p.m. Follow Ajax Downs on Twitter and Instagram @AjaxDowns and you can watch all the replays on the Ajax Downs' YouTube Page.
Video: Ajax Downs Full Card July 7 -
https://www.facebook.com/ajaxdownsracetrack/videos/304097651142793
Clive Cohen/New Image Media photo
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