SKOWHEGAN — A good year for JJ’s Jet got even better Saturday afternoon, when the horse and driver W. Drew Campbell cruised to the win in the Walter H. Hight Invitational Pace at Skowhegan State Fair.

JJ’s Jet won with a time of one minute, 53 seconds. The winning time was well short of the track record, 1:51.4, but more than enough to keep the rest of the five-horse field at bay.

“He was very impressive. I knew he’d be good today. We’ve been training well, and I knew he’d be good,” trainer James Dunn said of JJ’s Jet’s effort.

Shesjustadelight N, the only filly in the race, and driver Ron Cushing placed second in 1:54.2, more than a second behind JJ’s Jet. Bet You, last year’s Hight Invitational winner, placed third in his repeat bid with driver Shawn Gray.

JJ’s Jet paid $10.80 to win. The exacta paid $10.40, while the trifecta paid $34.

Campbell pushed JJ’s Jet to the front early, and at the half-mile mark held a slim lead over He’s Marvelous, driven by Nicholas Graffam. JJ’s Jet’s half-mile time was 56.3 seconds. While He’s Marvelous kept it close to the backstretch, he faded over the last quarter-mile. Meanwhile, JJ’s Jet remained strong and pulled away for the easy win.

Advertisement

The Hight Invitational was another is a strong string of races for JJ’s Jet, who also won a conditional pace at Skowhegan last Saturday. Counting the Hight Invitational, JJ’s Jet has placed first or second in each of his last 10 races. Saturday’s win was the horse’s fifth this year in 13 starts.

After a July 1 win at Scarborough Downs, JJ’s Jet didn’t race again until July 23, another Scarborough win. Saturday’s 1:53.0 was JJ’s Jet’s fastest mile of the year.

“The horse has been going well. We had a little down time to give him a little time off, and he’s been really sharp,” Dunn said.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.