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Coach Jimi Lee Still Going Strong at Nine
Coach Jimi Lee returned to Hoosier Park Racing and Casino with a little more age, but his spectacular will to win was still intact Wednesday, Sept. 2. Now nine, the chestnut gelding roared to victory in the $34,000 allowance, the featured event of the night.
A compact field of six entered the gate for the six-furlong contest, placing Coach Jimi Lee and Julio Felix in post one. As the field broke, Felix asked the son of Roar for early speed, and was immediately challenged by Orphan Brigade and Orlando Mojica for the top spot.
Around the turn, Coach Jimi Lee had the advantage, but a new challenger was on his way to the lead. Ebbtide and Rodney Prescott had Coach Jimi Lee in their sights turning for home.
Halfway through the stretch, Ebbtide grabbed the lead, but Coach Jimi Lee would not surrender. He fought back gamely and took control again, winning the event by one-half length in a fierce battle to the wire. Agastache and Victor Lebron maintained positioning for third.
“I had to use him (Coach Jimi Lee) pretty hard out of the gate,” said Felix. “For him to finish the way he did was outstanding. The other horse (Ebbtide) got by him and he dug right back in. When I asked him for more, he gave more, and I knew at the eighth pole he was going to get me to the winner’s circle.”
Coach Jimi Lee is closing in on $1 million in career earnings. Trained by Jim Divito, his win at Hoosier Park marked his 17th trip to the winner’s circle in 50 career starts. With only one start last year, it also marked his first win since consistently racing during the 2007 season. Coach Jimi Lee is co-owned by Divito along with Lee Battaglia of suburban Chicago.
“This was a great opportunity to sit on a horse like this that is nearly a millionaire,” said Felix. “He is truly a class horse. I appreciate his connections giving me the chance to ride and for his age, he showed that he still has something left in the tank.”
Coach Jimi Lee first appeared on the Indiana racing scene as a two-year-old, winning the $100,000 Hoosier Juvenile in 2002. He returned in 2004 to finish second in the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Mile, just a nose behind Added Edge. The biggest win to date for Coach Jimi Lee was recorded in the $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap, a race he won three years in a row from 2004 until 2006.
