The story of local Glens Falls High graduate who went on to become an NBA player has come to Saratoga in the form of an untried racehorse.
Jimmer, an unraced 2-year-old thoroughbred, is named after Jimmer Fredette, a Glens Falls native who recently completed his basketball career at Brigham Young University and will play with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA.
The idea for the name came from a source close to Fredette. Tony Hammel, who coached a young eighth-grade Jimmer, is married to Pat Hammel, a hotwalker for the farm that purchased the young colt.
It was Mrs. Hammel who suggested to the WinStar Farm president that the young horse be named “Jimmer”.
It was a well-liked idea – the stables already had named Court Vision and Cal Nation (after John Calipari), and so Jimmer became the next in a line of basketball-named horses.
Jimmer the Thoroughbred is expected to debut at the Saratoga Racetrack during this season.
His chances are good: he is the son of Elusive Quality, who sired the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones. And he is under the care of training legend Todd Pletcher.
While the two Jimmers have never met, the stable has announced Fredette is welcome to visit, and the basketball star has said he looks forward to following the thoroughbred’s racing career.
Do you think Jimmer the Horse has a good chance at the races? Will you go to see him run? Let us know!
