Courtly Jazz (Click here for Past Performances)

This nine year old gelding by Dixieland Band had 37 starts and earned a whopping $260,385. The "Jazzman" as he is called by his connections had a distinguished racing career in the Southern California circuit, including a number of stakes races, until shortly before he was claimed and shipped north. As he fell in the claiming ranks he started having trouble with his feet and developed a quarter crack (Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown suffers from the same malady) and eventually made it back at the lowest level of racing in a 4K claimer at Golden Gate Fields. He looked good but ran dead last and was claimed.....but this time he was claimed back by the owners who had admired and loved him for so many years of his career, Jan & Jerry Hawthorne. The Hawthornes race under the name Double JH Stable and always make sure their horses (both past and present) are well cared for.

Jan is a member of the Board of Directors of CARMA and connected with Neigh Saver Karin at a meeting in December 2008. Karin promised to look out for Jazz and check into his condition. At the time the trainer was not willing to sell the gelding back to the Hawthornes for reasons that are not clear to us. However, we continued to see posted workouts so knew his quarter crack was healing or about to be healed and he would soon be making his debut again. The necessary funds were deposited, the race was run and Jazz came out of it quite well. In fact, he wasn't even breathing hard at the end and walked quietly back to the barn. He is quite the gentleman and has excellent manners. He also loves baby yellow organic carrots as it turns out.

The Jazzman is now back in Southern California and in the barn of Gary Mandella. Plans for Jazz are not firmed up. The Hawthornes eventually just want to find him a good home or have him retrained for another career. For now, after evaluation, he will be turned out for some R&R so the Hawthornes and their grandchildren can enjoy him. I know I would love to have such a kind and elegant gentleman for a friend.

At left are photos of the Jazzman before and after his last career race on April 15, 2009 at Golden Gate Fields.