Fred The Great proves his worth for Bigman In Town Trophy
Fred The Great, a four-year-old American-bred bay colt, continued to show remarkable development and progress in his racing career, notching his fifth local win from 13 starts in the $1.25-million Bigman In Town Trophy on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
He unleashed a powerful late surge in the deep stretch to win the Overnight Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over one mile (1,600m) convincingly by three lengths.
This impressive performance also marked his second-consecutive win, demonstrating his fine form and potential. Fred The Great won in a time of 1:40.0 (24.2 x 47.3 x 1:13.4 x 1:26.4) ahead of Atlantic Convoy and Sistren Treasure.
Trainer Jason DaCosta was thrilled with the performance, praising the horse’s progress and potential.
“This was his best race yet,” DaCosta told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide. “He has never raced at a mile before, he has always looked like a run-on printer, but but today (Saturday) he got the job done and I am happy with the performance. He is now in Open Allowance company and and so we will pick a spot for him.”
As expected, Fred The Great lagged behind and jockey Tevin Foster held the bay colt to a moderate pace as Atlantic Convoy (Phillip Parchment) took the lead leaving the intersection at the seven-furlong (1,400m) pole, followed by Rani Bangala (Shavon Townsend) and Nomoredeals (Oshane Nugent).
Fred The Great continued to bide his time well while still off the pace as Atlantic Convoy increased the tempo entering the half-mile turn. Approaching the final stretch Fred The Great hugged the inside rail, conserving energy before making his move.
In the final furlong (200m) of the race Foster urged him on and Fred The Great responded with a burst of speed, overtaking Atlantic Convoy and Sistren Treasure to win the race in thrilling fashion.
Atlantic Convoy finished second and Sistren Treasure placed third.
Foster was also pleased with Fred The Great’s outstanding performance.
“He had been training exceptionally well and was coming off an impressive win, clocking 1:25.4 for seven furlongs, so I was confident in his abilities,” Foster said.
“I’ve ridden him before and we won coming from second to late position. I knew that when I turned for home and switched his lead, he would give me a strong kick and take the lead. He’s continually improving and reaching his full potential,” Foster added.