The guy who runs the concession stand on the backside at PID is from Michigan. He told me before he was about to claim his first horse - he went to Gerald Bennett and told him he wanted to claim one of his horses. Bennett told him 'you'll be making a huge mistake if you claim him. Trust me, you don't want him. Come here, let me show you the one you want to claim'
The griddle guy was a little suspicious - but decided to pass on the Bennett horse he wanted - and claimed the one Bennett had sold him on. He won several races with the horse. The griddle guy thanked Bennett and his reply was simply "don't worry about it - I really hated that owner"
Jr's Exchange stamped himself as clearly the fastest low-level condition claiming horse in PID history at last years meet.
He's 12/1 on the ML Saturday against some of the best turf sprinters in the entire country in a Tampa Stakes race.
When he debuted at PID on May 12th - off a layoff - he went 22.20 - 44.40 -and was edged late in 1:08.40 ... a 100K open stakes race for males at the same distance just 30 minutes later was run in indentical fractions and final time.
He flipped in the gate May 26th and held up the start for several minutes.
He won his 3rd start at PID with a 91 Beyer - When Informed Decision edged BC F. Sprint winner Dubai Majesty in the 400K Masters last meet - the winner Beyer was only 90. It's hard to get margins at PID - and thus it's hard to get real high Beyers.
Amazingly, he was in for $7,500 N3L for his 4th start of the meet. He embarassed a Scooter Davis horse who was WAY above par for the class level.... but he failed the post race drug test it would seem.
That last fact makes it obvious Jr's Exchange had to have his issues and is not just another horse Bennett wanted to give away. It would be fun to see him freshened for PID. It's very possible he could win a stakes race here with a slower number than those he earned in handy wins at the lower condition claiming levels last meet.