A horse that will race in the Canadian Derby at Century Mile Racetrack on Saturday has been nicknamed after Edmonton jockey Red Pollard for sharing the same impediment. Carrot and mint-loving three-year-old Javier, or “Red,” was born blind in his right eye. It’s likely why he wasn’t a hot sell at the Fasig-Tipton auction his team bought him at, but he proved to be a bargain. “Once I ran him the first two times, I knew he was a nice colt,” said trainer Carson Frey. “He was undefeated in his first three starts. He’s the favourite (in) his first four races. He won the western Canada stakes this year as a three-year-old, the first prep for the derby. So then we knew we were legit and had a goal to get there.” Pollard, born in Edmonton in 1909, rose to fame riding a horse named Seabiscuit in the 1930s. A movie based on their story, including Pollard’s secret partial blindness due to a racing injury, was made in 2004. Like Pollard, Javier’s condition doesn’t prevent him from being competitive. “When you’re walking him and there’s a noise on that side, he’ll jump towards you sometimes and get scared. But racing wise, he don’t care,” Frey said. “You have to be a tough horse to qualify, so it’s not chance. He proved he can belong there.” Saturday will be the first time Javier competes in a 1.25-mile race, but Frey is the only one who’s nervous. “He don’t know no (sic) different. He just put the bridle on and go.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Dave Mitchell
