Joey Freshwater flows in the G3 Runhappy, becomes Jimmy Creed’s newest GSW

Jimmy Creed’s Joey Freshwater earned his second career graded stakes win Saturday at Aqueduct with a sparkling effort in the $175,000 Runhappy S. (G3).

The 4-year-old colt was coming off a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105 for an allowance win on April 4, and turned in another top-notch outing in Saturday’s six-furlong affair for older horses.

Tracking the pace in third no more than two lengths from the lead through the first three furlongs, Joey Freshwater moved within a length of the lead at the top of the stretch. He struck the front inside the final furlong and went on to win by a neck over Ninetypercentmaddie in a swift 1:09.41 on a fast main track.

“He broke pretty good like last time,” winning jockey Jose Lezcano said. “He was outside, I don’t have to use him to be where I want to be. He liked to be there and run in the clear, and I waited til the three-sixteenths and he really punched hard and went on and won the race.”

Trainer Linda Rice said Joey Freshwater will now target the $350,000 True North (G2), a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses on June 8 Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga.

Joey Freshwater, who was bred in Kentucky by Dr. Aaron Sones, Dr. Naoya Yoshida and Dr. Eric Crawford, is the lone named foal out of the More Than Ready mare Lake Turkana. Joey Freshwater’s third dam in Grade 1 winner Serra Lake.

The Runhappy winner is owned by Winning Move Stable and is now 6-2-2 in 16 starts, with earnings of $480,780. His previous stakes win came in the 2023 Bay Shore S. (G3).

Jimmy Creed, the sire of more than 60 black type horses lifetime, recently surpassed the $30 million progeny earnings milestone. A Grade 1-winning son of champion sire Distorted Humor, Jimmy Creed stands for $10,000 live foal.