by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Prior to last weekend’s Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, the last time Big Jim lost a race came in October in his elimination for the Breeders Crown. Big Jim came back to win the final, as well as capture the Governor’s Cup with a world record performance. Owner Jim Carr, trainer James “Friday” Dean and driver Phil Hudon would enjoy seeing history repeat itself.

Big Jim, who was the 2-year-old male pacer of the year in both the U.S. and Canada in 2010, saw a four-race win streak snapped in his Somebeachsomewhere division as he finished second to Up The Credit in a stakes-record 1:49 on June 4 at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario. The previous stakes mark of 1:49.4 was set by Georgia Pacific in 2004. The race, originally called the Burlington, was renamed this year to honor the 2008 Horse of the Year.

Up The Credit won by 1-1/4 lengths for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Carl Jamieson. Big Jim and Hudon were third going around the first turn before the colt brushed to the front in a :54 opening half-mile. Big Jim led the field to the three-quarter-mile point in 1:21.3 before getting pressure in the stretch from Powerful Mist, who ended up third. Up The Credit, who was sixth for much of the race and 11 lengths behind Big Jim at the half, closed with a :26 final quarter-mile to claim the victory.

Lisa photo

Big Jim will look to get back to the winner’s circle in Saturday’s North America Cup eliminations at Mohawk.

“I was happy with the way he raced the other night,” Dean said. “I still don’t think that cutting the mile is his best style, but what are you going to do? You’re 1-9 sitting in the three hole and you’ve got a 30-1 shot sitting up front. You’ve got to re-move. He just got beat by a horse that’s coming around. (Up The Credit) is a good horse; he was a good horse last year, he just wasn’t too sound.

“Everyone acts kind of shocked when he does get beat, but it’s just the way the race set up. I know he’s won off the front end, but I think he’s better off a helmet. It was just the circumstances the other night. It’s a horse race and everyone gets beat. We’ve been lucky enough to be on the winner’s end of that scale.”

Dean said tests showed Big Jim to be healthy heading into his preparation for Saturday’s North America Cup eliminations at Mohawk. The C$1.5 million final is June 18.

“He seems good,” Dean said. “We got his blood back (Monday) and everything seems good that way.”

Big Jim entered the Somebeachsomewhere off two wins in New Jersey. He won the $400,000 New Jersey Classic in 1:51 at Meadowlands Racetrack on May 28 and won the Classic prep race a week earlier in 1:51.4. In the Somebeachsomewhere, Big Jim was timed in 1:49.1, which equaled his world record time (for a 2-year-old) from last year.

For his career, Big Jim has won eight of 13 races and earned $1.06 million. He has missed the board only once.

“I think he’s come back well,” Dean said. “You always worry about that when you race these 2-year-olds kind of tough. You wonder if they’re going to come back and be as good as a 3-year-old, and I think we’re going in the right direction. He paced right back to the fastest mile he ever paced in his third start back. He’ll get stronger every start. I’m real pleased with him.”