Jolting Joe, son of New York-based sire Mission Impazible, scores maiden victory in Cab Calloway division of New York Stallion Series. NYRA Photo.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
Second in his first four starts, Jolting Joe timed his maiden-breaking victory to perfection Thursday in the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Already stakes-placed in his second start, the 3-year-old colt by the Sequel New York-based Mission Impazzible broke strong in the 1 1/16-mile turf race and slotted into third under Tyler Gaffalione as the favorite. Bellamy Road’s Stuy Town Baby set the pace when covering the first quarter in :25.19 before feeling some pressure from Dream Bigger when stopping the clock in :49:24 for the half.
Stuy Town Baby yielded the lead around the far turn as Jolting Joy swung ride to try and chase down Dream Bigger. It turned into a three-way battle with Dream Bigger, Jolting Joe, and Turbo Drive dueling down the stretch until the final sixteenth. Finding another gear, Jolting Joe broke away from his rivals and started to pull away in the final stage to cross the line 1 3/4 lengths in front with a final time of 1:43.07.
The victory led to a 1-2 finish for Mike Maker with the trainer’s Turbo Drive finishing second and three-quarters of a length in front of Zipalong.
“With a short run into the first turn, I was trying to be a bit more forwardly placed but we didn’t get away the cleanest,” Gaffalione said. “I looked to my inside and there were two going at it, so I figured I would just sit behind them and let them do the dirty work. He was traveling nicely throughout, and when I asked him for run at the top of the lane he gave me an extra punch. I still think there’s more in the tank. We haven’t seen the best of him yet. Hopefully, he just keeps improving.”
A Kentucky-bred half-brother to New York-bred champion and fellow Mike Maker trainee Somelikeithotbrown, Jolting Joe is the second stakes winner of the Saratoga meet for Marilyn Monroan alongside his half-brother who took the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch July 26.
Jolting Joe, a 3-year-old Mission Impazible son bred by Hot Pink Stables, races for his breeder and Skychai Racing. Skychai co-owns Somelikeithotbrown and co-owned their dam with Hot Pink Stable and Sand Dollar Stable during her racing career.
A $255,000 weanling, Marilyn Monroan’s family is headlined by U.S. champions Stevie Wonderboy and Big Blue Kitten. The mare has an unnamed 2-year-old Temple City colt, a yearling Palace Malice colt and had a Hard Spun filly in April. She was bred to Mendelssohn in 2020.
