Possiblemente delivered a determined stretch rally to secure the biggest victory of his career in Saturday’s $150,000 Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine Track, overcoming a competitive field with a well-timed finishing burst in the six-furlong feature.
Possiblemente Jacques Cartier Stakes win.
The six-year-old gelding, trained by Joe Sharp and ridden with confidence by Eswan Flores, settled comfortably in fourth during the early stages before producing a decisive run in the closing furlong to earn his first graded stakes success.
Western Whirl, representing Chiefswood Stables, showed early speed and led the field into the opening turn, with Kentucky visitor Its Bourbon Thirty tracking closely after an opening quarter-mile in :22.31. The pace remained strong as the runners approached the far turn, setting the race up perfectly for those waiting behind the leaders.
As the field rounded the bend, Possiblemente began to improve from the second flight. G T Five Hundred advanced on his outside, while Playmea Tune moved up along the rail, creating a tightly packed group heading toward the home straight.
Western Whirl, under Fraser Aebly, still held the advantage turning for home after a half-mile in :45.40. However, Flores had positioned Possiblemente ideally and quickly spotted a route to challenge.
Angling his mount into clear running room, Flores asked the chestnut for his effort and received an immediate response. Possiblemente accelerated strongly, swept past Western Whirl and surged to the front inside the final furlong. He crossed the line in 1:10.01, with the five-furlong split recorded in :57.31.
The Possiblemente Jacques Cartier Stakes win was as much about racecraft as raw ability. Flores’ decision-making approaching the quarter-pole proved crucial as he conserved ground before launching the winning challenge.
“I think Raffi knows his horse too. I think he was trying to keep me in the outside as much as possible, but I found a way to relax him and find myself in the inside, save a little bit of ground in the turn,” said Flores.
Possiblemente Jacques Cartier Stakes win highlights sprint transformation
The victory marked a significant milestone for Possiblemente, who was reunited with Flores after the jockey partnered him in two Woodbine appearances last summer. Since joining Sharp’s stable from former trainer Martin Drexler, the gelding has flourished in sprint races, winning back-to-back contests at Turfway during the winter, including a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure performance.
His most recent outing came against stronger opposition in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs, where he finished fifth after closing strongly in the latter stages.
Flores was quick to praise Sharp for the transformation that has brought out the best in the gelding.
“I got to give all the credit to Joe, bringing and shoring this horse up. I think that was one of the best things anybody could have done to this horse. Joe’s training just puts two and two together,” he said.
Owned by T and E Racing and bred in Kentucky by Charles Fipke, Possiblemente recorded the 10th victory of his career and his third success from his last four starts with the Possiblemente Jacques Cartier Stakes win.
Lithe Spirit, the sole mare in the seven-runner field, finished strongly to claim second place. Western Whirl held on for third, while Playmea Tune completed the top four. So Delicious was withdrawn before the race.
The performance confirmed Possiblemente’s growing reputation among North America’s sprint division and suggested there may be further stakes success ahead as the season progresses.
The Jacques Cartier triumph also highlighted the remarkable consistency Possiblemente has shown since returning to sprint distances. After spending much of his earlier career competing over longer trips, the gelding has thrived in shorter races, rewarding connections’ patience and emerging as one of the more progressive older sprinters currently racing on the North American circuit.
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