RJ Sports Image and Victor Kirby turned in an impressive performance to win the conditioned pace going for a purse of $11.500 at Harrington Raceway Monday, May 23. The duo stopped the timer in 1:54.2.
RJ Sports Image was an upset winner in conditioned pace action at Harrington Raceway Monday, May 23.
RJ Sports Image used early speed from post seven to challenge for the lead, traveling three wide around the first turn before clearing to the front by the quarter in :28.2. His time on the front end was short lived as Outclassed and Corey Callahan used a big move to clear the lead at the half in :56.3. Outclassed got a big of a breather heading to the three-quarter mile marker until Moment to Shine and Pat Berry began to move up on the outside. RJ Sports Image was just biding his time in the two-hole as the field turned into the final turn.
Moment to Shine began to fade as the field hit the stretch. RJ Sports Image found the room he needed along the inside and sprinted home for the win by one and one-half lengths. Shakespeare and Allan Davis moved up on the outside to close in for second over Outclassed, who found room on the inside to move up to third.
RJ Sports Image was an upset winner, paying $30.60 for the win. The Rockin Image four-year-old gelding is owned by Frank Canzone of New York and trained by Edwin Gannon Jr. Richard Frey bred the gelding, who earned his fourth win of 2022 in his 12th start. Overall he has five wins in 22 starts with his career best time taken earlier this year at Dover Downs in 1:52.1. He has been with his current connections since last fall. He began his career under Robert Taylor last year as a three-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park before changing hands and moving to the East Coast.
RJ Sports Image was a $5,000 purchase from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. He is from the 100 percent producing mare Sports Anchor, who is the dam of RJ Rocks, a full brother to RJ Sports Image who has a mark of 1:55.2 and is currently racing. The mare also has a two-year-old this year named RJ Startofanera by JK Endofanera and a yearling colt named RJ’s Fireball, a son of Tellitlikeitis.
Another Indiana winner on the Monday card at Harrington was Power of Tell, who moved first over the second half of the race and won by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:52.1. The Tellitlikeitis five-year-old gelding was driven by Ross Wolfenden for trainer William Bright, who co-owns the gelding with Dawn Webb. Victory Hill Farm bred the gelding, who earned a new lifetime mark with the win. He has 13 career wins in 86 career starts and more than $164,000 in earnings. He is a full brother to Red Power, who has a mark of 1:50.1 and earnings of more than $133,000 and is currently racing. The family also has a full brother named Presence of Tell, who is a two-year-old in 2022.