Wild About Jass is an example of a horse who returned to her winning ways when returned to her level. (Photo by Coglianese Photograpy)

The thrill of victory can have a profound impact on some people.

In horse racing, a win can often prompt a trainer or owner to become overly ambitious, sometimes with disappointing results.

On Dec. 13 at Gulfstream Park, Wild About Jass took a class drop from a $30,000 claimer into a $20,000 race and posted a half-length victory at 5-2 odds.

It certainly was a rather feasible result for a horse that had run for $25,000 or $30,000 claiming tags in her last six races and had never finished worse than fourth. She was surely competitive against those horses, and figured to be a handful to handle at a lower level.

Yet, buoyed by that victory, her connections became ambitious. They elevated Wild About Jass to a $35,000 claimer on Jan. 30 and she flopped, finishing 11th, some 12 ½ lengths behind the winner.

What happened next?

Wild About Jass was entered in another $20,000 claimer on March 22 at Gulfstream. Was she dropping in class due to declining form or simply returning to her winning level?

Considering how consistent Wild About Jass had been prior to her poor effort against better company, there certainly was evidence that she was eligible to return to top form at the $20,000. It was not like she made several starts at the more demanding $35,000 level, banging her head against the wall and dulling her form. It was just one sub-par race that could be easily forgiven.

A jockey switch back to Edgard Zayas, who had been her regular rider prior to the Jan. 30 race, also indicated her connections had learned a lesson from the Jan. 30 race and were focused on collecting another victory.

The tote board also showed faith in Wild About Jass as she received strong support and was sent off as the 7-2 second choice in a field of nine.

Those who tagged along, believing Wild About Jass was back where she belonged, were rewarded with a $9.40 payoff when she pulled away and registered a decisive 5-length victory.

Ah, the thrill of victory. It’s a wonderful thing.

The Lesson: Horses can be ambitiously spotted off a victory and turn in a weak effort, but they often deserve backing if they quickly return to their winning level.