Jimanator topples Meister in Hooper

Jimanator qualifies as a rags-to-riches story in the Hooper (Jim Lisa Photos) Three Diamonds Farm’s Jimanator made his stakes debut a successful one in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap, edging 2-5 favorite Mambo Meister by nearly a length. Joe Bravo guided the winner, who completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:53 2/5 over Calder’s fast track. Jimanator was thrice claimed this season, most recently moving to trainer Michael Trombetta’s barn after being haltered for a $20,000 tag at Saratoga on August 18. He finished second in a $35,000 claimer at Monmouth next time out and entered the Hooper off a dominant 6 1/4-length allowance win at Parx Racing on October 11. The five-year-old gelding made his first start at Calder on Saturday. “We claimed this horse at Saratoga for a couple of reasons,” said Kirk Wycoff, who owns Three Diamonds Farm with his wife Deborah. “He’s by Broken Vow and we’ve had success with horses by him before. And my son Jordon is a student of the figures and he liked him based on that.

“After his last race at Parx we decided to take a shot in this race. We
thought he’d like the mile-and-an-eighth.”

Tellum Berto showed the way on the front end, recording fractions in :24 1/5,
:49 3/5 and 1:14 1/5 as Jimanator stalked within a couple of lengths of the
pacesetter. Mambo Meister raced in second during the early stages and advanced
to take the lead between calls in upper stretch, but Jimanator rallied on the
outside to engage the heavy favorite and the pair dueled to deep stretch. Mambo
Meister could not match strides late and settled for second, 5 1/4 lengths
better than Stimulus Plan in third.

“The owners have got to be so excited about this horse after having just
claimed him for twenty ($20,000) just a few races back and to beat a nice horse
like Mambo Meister,” Bravo said. “He’s a big horse with a big frame and is
really coming into himself.  He sure made my job easy.”

Jimanator was off as the 5-2 second choice among eight betting interest and
paid $7 for the win. His overall record now reads 34-10-5-3, $240,785.

Sky Venture took fourth and was followed under the finish line by
Generalissimo, Tellum Berto, Shellback and Flatter This.

Bred in Kentucky by James Orr Jr., Jimanator is out of the winning Smart
Strike mare Beached.