Sweet Soddy J slips through to Timonium Juvenile win
Ted Black- September 2, 2023
On the day in which past veteran campaigners Ben’s Cat and Mountain Dew were formally inducted into the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame during the final Saturday program of the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, it was the two-year-olds who enjoyed the spotlight in the latest edition of the $75,000 Timonium Juvenile Stakes.
Heading into the latest renewal of the Timonium Juvenile, much of the attention focused on Frosty the Giant (Angel Cruz) who finished fourth in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park after graduating against maiden special weight company at Churchill Downs for trainer Anthony Farrior. He was also expected to provide the early speed as the 6-5 favorite, which he did, but after being pressed he was unable to sustain it.
When the gates opened in the Timonium Juvenile, Frosty the Giant broke alertly to gain command along the inside passing the grandstands the first time with Dance for Green (Alexander Crispin) away well to provide early pressure. Charles Town invader Jubawithatwist, a winner at first asking and stakes-placed last out, raced three-wide and up close through the clubhouse turn and into the backside.
Meanwhile, the lone filly in the field, Determined Driver, had a stumbling start that left her towards the rear of the field while hung out wide.
Frosty the Giant maintained his advantage through a half-mile in a fast 46.99 seconds for the 6 ½-furlong test. But the cavalry was coming.
Turning for home the Timonium Juvenile appeared to be genuinely wide open. Sweet Soddy J (Jeiron Barbosa) cemented that status when he rallied along the rail and edged clear late to a three-length score as an overlooked 9-1 shot while stopping the timer in 1:19.30.
A winner of his career debut at Colonial Downs against maiden $40,000 claimers, Sweet Soddy J remained unbeaten in two tries and provided his connections with an emotional score.
“After he won that race at Colonial Downs, we really didn’t know what we had,” said Norman “Lynn” Cash, whose Built Wright Stables, which also consists of his wife, Lola Cash, owned and bred the Juvenile winner. “We were considering a starter allowance race on the turf [at Colonial] but it didn’t fill.”
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Sweet Soddy J, a Bee Jersey gelding, had one of the more unusual past performance lines in the race. He followed up his debut score with a five-furlong turf move three days later.
“When he worked at Laurel on the grass [three days after winning at Colonial], it wasn’t entirely by design,” Cash said. “He kind of ran off a little and the clocker got him.”
“An unscheduled workout,” trainer Ray Ginter called it.
The Cash operation made its name claiming horses, with this their first homebred stakes winner.
“That was sweet. My wife is in my earpiece,” Cash said, gesturing at his ear. “She’s going crazy.”
Cash noted that Sweet Soddy J has two full-sisters on the ground already at their farm in Kentucky and the dam, Sweet Rhapsody, is in foal to Bee Jersey again. In recent weeks, Ray Ginter, Jr. has taken over as the trainer for the Built Wright Stable horses and Sweet Soddy J’s upset victory in the Timonium Juvenile represented his first stakes victory as a conditioner.
“I was just waiting and waiting,” Barbosa said. “I had a lot of horse going into the far turn. I was just waiting for room. When I got a little room along the rail turning for home he just went right through there. He’s got a lot of talent. I think he’s got a lot of class for a young horse.”
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