Jackson Bend

What Jackson Bend lacks in size he makes up with heart as he has demonstrated by winning multiple Grade 1 races, earning more than $1.6 million on the track and emerging as a major player on the national scene over several seasons. Jackson Bend is a Florida homebred of Fred Brei’s Jacks or Better Farm. He is by Hear No Evil, a Jacks or Better homebred by Carson City who was a stakes winner of nearly $600,000, and Jackson Bend is far and away his best offspring from limited opportunities. 

Jackson Bend was a star 2-year-old colt developed at Calder Race Course in 2009 when he swept the three ‘open’ divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes series for trainer Stanley Gold to complete his juvenile campaign. Shortly thereafter, New York owner Robert LaPenta purchased a majority interest in Jackson Bend privately with Brei retaining a minority share and he was transferred to trainer Nick Zito for the winter at Palm Meadows Training Center.

Jackson Bend emerged as a force on the Triple Crown trail in 2010, highlighted by a game third-place finish behind Lookin At Lucky in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico when beaten by less than a length.

Jackson Bend tailed off at the end of his 3-year-old campaign and was not very effective early in 2011 in three starts in Florida. A decision was made to turn him back to sprint distances for the second half of the season and he re-emerged as a star sprinter, winning the Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and finishing third as the lukewarm favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs in the fall. He continues to be a prominent figure in the Sprint/Dirt Mile Breeders’ Cup divisions this season.