The Jet is ready for Crown

Jereme’s Jet won’t be flying to Woodbine for this weekend’s Breeders Crown eliminations, but he’s heading to Canada via truck on Wednesday with a win under his belt after scoring a 1:51.4 victory in a conditioned race at Maywood last Friday night. The start was the first for the 3-year-old colt pacer since finishing sixth in his Little Brown Jug elimination Sept. 21 after being parked through a brutal first half.

“We kept telling him it was OK, it wasn’t his fault,” trainer Tom Harmer said with a laugh when asked Monday afternoon by harnessracing.com what he had done with his colt since the Jug.

Although he has 10 wins in 17 career starts and more than $1.2 million in earnings, the defending divisional champion was eligible to Friday’s $12,100 conditioned race for non-winners of $12,500 last five at Maywood. Harmer said Jereme’s Jet was able to start because of an also-eligible clause that allowed 3 year olds that hadn’t won three races with a purse of $12,000 or more since July 23 to be entered.

“Everyone was mad because they were in with him, but if you write yourself out of winning then you race for second money,” said Harmer. “They took a shot at him and tried to get him beat. We were taken to the quarter in :26.1 (by Jo Pa’s Bench Mark and driver Todd Warren), and it cost him second-place money as he could have been second sitting on our back.”

Dave Magee was in the sulky behind Jereme’s Jet in the Maywood victory, but Harmer said he has named Paul MacDonell—who was in the bike behind the colt last year in all seven of his starts and his first four starts this year—to drive in the Breeders Crown.

“I named Paul MacDonell, but if he has something else entered then we’ll go to Plan B,” said Harmer, adding that assistant trainer Joe Frasure will bring Jereme’s Jet to Mohawk Racetrack Wednesday to prepare for Saturday’s elimination. Harmer said he will travel to Woodbine Saturday for the race.

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