KINGSTON, Jamaica - The opening event was restricted to tagged claimers not exceeding $180,000 and jockeys failing to ride a winner in 2021 to date. These riders, 11 men and one female, had collectively secured only 108 mounts from the approximately 7,320 available so far this season. The fact of the matter is that none of these licensees earn commission to support even the most basic standard of living from racing income.
Delroy Beharie, who showed promise as an apprentice a decade and a half ago, was on this his 15th ride of the season. The infrequently used reinsman kept his balance and his nerve aboard 7/1 shot Treasure Train to give trainer Steadman Curtis his first seasonal winner of the year as well. The six-year-old mare ran gamely inside the last 150 metres to win a third race from here 43 appearances.
Frequently raced five-year-old mare Dorthebutcher (Jordan Barrett) failed by three parts of a length to deny Dick Cardenas the first of his double on the day with the Steven Todd conditioned hard-knocking rival Cup A Soup (8/5) in the 1000-metre straight second event.
Well-liked enigmatic jockey Aaron Chatrie rode the Spencer Chung trained improving three-year-old filly Mum to a 5 ½ length victory in the third event. This erased the memory of the filly’s disqualification from first eight days prior over a similar distance. After making amends more success awaited Chatrie on the nine-race card.
Race four, run over the 1000 metres on the round course, went to free-scoring Papa Albert trained by Lawrence Freemantle and ridden by the in-form Javaniel Patterson by to score at odds of 8/5.
The eight-year-old chestnut gelding won by half a length to register a 15th victory from 55 career starts. Diamond Star (3/1), in winning the fifth was 10 lengths superior to her field to give Chatrie his second success and trainer Gresford Smith his fifth win from 84 starts this year.
The 2019 champion jockey Christopher Mamdeen drove 18/1 shot Cataba saddled by top-ten trainer Patrick Lynch to a near two-length victory in the sixth event over the 1000-metre straight course.
Favourite Extruder (6/5), nursed back to form by trainer Dennis Pryce, confirmed the good exercise gallops and with Shane Ellis at reins proved eight lengths better than his nearest rivals over the 1100 metres of the seventh race.
With the distance of the eighth being 1000 metres on the round course, it was seemingly made to order for 8/5 favourite Voytek (Tevin Foster) who obliged by a length and a half. Shrewd conditioner Gregory Forsyth had his eighteenth success from 86 starts to maintain his satisfactory seasonal strike rate.
Five-year-old gelding Blood Fire (Andre Powell) running for only the 15th time and obviously difficult to train won the ninth and closing event by eight lengths.
Trainer Gary Subratie enhanced his well-chronicled reputation of improving horses beset with problems.
