THOMAS JO
Owners: Earle I. Mack & Team Valor
Trainer: James A. Jerkens
Jockey: Chris McCarron
Career Earnings: $254,707
Barn: 31 at Belmont Park
- Thomas Jo is a gray/roan gelded son of Strong Performance - Advancette, by Iron Constitution who was bred in Texas by L T Smith Enterprises.
- A winner in seven of his 14 career starts, Thomas Jo once ran for a $25,000 claiming tag at Louisiana Downs. He'll be seeking his fifth consecutive victory in the Belmont Stakes, his first graded stakes engagement. Thomas Jo has notched stakes victories in his last two outings, first in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico on April 18th and then in the Sir Barton, also at Pimlico, on May 16th.
- "It seems like there has always been a gradual incline with him, even in the quality of horses he's faced," trainer James Jerkens said. "He's experienced, but his races have been spaced out well, and he's got the seasoning since he went around two turns as a two year old. But, by no means is he overdone."
- Thomas Jo's name is derived from the combination of breeder Larry T. Smith's middle name, Thomas, and his wife Mary's middle name, Jo.
- Last November, following Thomas Jo's win by eight lengths in a Churchill Downs claiming race, Smith approached Jack Brothers to find some partners for him. Brothers introduced him to Barry Irwin of Team Valor and constructed a deal where Smith retained 25 percent ownership, leaving Team Valor with the remaining three-quarters. Irwin then sold a half-interest to Earle I. Mack and syndicated the remaining 25 percent.
- Thomas Jo, the first stakes winner sired by Strong Performance (winner of 1986 Grade 2 Tropical Park Derby ), came to Jerkens' barn just prior to his New York debut on February 12th.
- "He's a little more toned up now than from the time I got him," Jerkens said. "He never really did have a lot of flesh to him, though. He's pretty wirey and hard. He's the type that doesn't need a lot of training and he can be lazy in the mornings. He's good when he's in company. He doesn't really do much, but he doesn't really need to. He'll do anything, he just won't do it on his own. You have to make him because he can be a loafer."
- As to how Thomas Jo will stack up versus the likes of Real Quiet and Victory Gallop, Jerkens said, "It's hard to say because he really hasn't faced that kind. Real Quiet is an awfully good horse and he's a very strong, rugged type. He's another one that has just gradually gotten better. These races are always tough and this is a very prestigious race with all that money hanging up there. It's not going to be easy but we'll take a shot and be thrilled if we can a check. You never know until they do it at this distance, but our horse looks like one that has the endurance."
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Belmont
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