“I think it just took him a race or two to get going again when he came back,” said Plesa Saturday morning from Monmouth where he will send out Centaur Farms’ homebred 5-year-old Gottcha Gold as the morning line favorite in the $75,000 Skip Away Stakes this afternoon. “He (Yesbyjimminy) indicated that he was coming back to himself when he won his last start.”
The victory by Yesbyjimminy in Friday’s race gave Plesa’s Calder division its 20th winner of the meet to bring the stable into a tie for second with Dan Hurtak, both trailing defending Calder Meet champion Kirk Ziadie by eight at 28. Plesa’s Monmouth division has produced 11 winners so far to rank in a tie for seventh.
“I’m pleased with how we’ve done so far with both divisions and we still have a lot to look forward to with the 2-year-olds coming on, most of them at Calder and some up here as well. Jungle Jill will run in that Georgia race next Saturday down there,” said Plesa, referring to the $75,000 Georgia Juvenile Fillies Turf Dash to be run at five furlongs on the grass.
Owned by Joel Kligman, Jungle Jill won her debut on June 7 by 4 ¾ lengths for trainer Larry Pilotti before being transferred to Plesa. The daughter of Express Tour finished third in the $55,000 JJ’s Dream overnight stakes as the even-money favorite on July 12 in her second start on ‘Summit of Speed’ day. “She missed a work and several days training coming up to the race, but should be ready for Saturday.”
Other promising 2-year-olds trained by Plesa that have run at the meet, include Trilogy Stable and his wife Laurie’s homebred filly Ameribelle, a daughter of Medglia d’Oro out of Miz United Stakes; and J. Robert Harris, Jr.’s colt Bee Cee Cee, a son of Songandaprayer that has already won twice.
Ameribelle finished second in her only start on July 6 and is entered in Sunday’s sixth race. Her dam won the 1999 My Dear Girl Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes for the same connections, but Ameribelle will have to find her way in ‘open’ company as Medaglia d’Oro stands in Kentucky and is not eligible for the FSS program.
Bee Cee Cee was a $200,000 OBS February 2-year-old purchase and won his debut in late April and the BLs Sweep overnight stakes in June in his first two starts. He came back as the 7-to-5 favorite in the $55,000 Frank Gomez Memorial on ‘Summit’ day, July 12, and finished fourth, beaten 3 ¾ lengths. “He bled in the race and will get Lasix next time he runs,” said Plesa. Bee Cee Cee is eligible for the Florida Stallion Stakes series.