KINGSTON, Jamaica - After the completion of the LASCO Distributors Limited-sponsored two-day Superstakes carnival of racing last weekend, the automatic first preference entries into the ultra-rich Diamond Mile have been decided.
Although winning the iCool Fruit Drink Superstakes, the brilliant She’s A Maneater had already qualified for the Diamond Mile having won the seven-furlong (1,400m) Gold Cup in August while Triple Crown winner Supreme Soul qualified by virtue of winning the Jamaica Derby in June, a part of his Triple Crown feat.
Added to the mix are Another Bullet and the unbeaten American-bred bay colt Stranger Danger.
Another Bullet earned his qualifying spot by winning the LASCO Food Drink Caribbean Sprint Championship race over six furlongs (1,200m), while Stranger Danger grabbed his automatic spot with an emphatic win in the Lyrix Soft Drink Invitational Mile.
With those four mentioned, the race is shaping up for what could be the most competitive and exciting Diamond Mile race to be run thus far since its inception in 2015. The US$115,000 (over J$14 million) Diamond Mile is set for November 9 at Caymanas Park.
Will In Charge had been given automatic first preference entry to the race as the previous winner providing he raced in a minimum of two Grade One races and finished first to third in a least one. However, Will In Charge will not be participating in the race as he is out of competitive racing for the remainder of the season.
With the absence of Will In Charge, this leaves She’s A Maneater as the only horse in the line-up to have won the Diamond Mile before, doing so in 2017 with Dane Nelson in the saddle.
Seeking My Dream won the first two Diamond Mile races. Also out of the Diamond Mile running this year are I Am Di One, Master of Hall, Saratoga Sight, and Run Thatcher Run.
This year’s 1000 Guineas winner I Am Di One was seventh on this list of horses eligible for the Diamond Mile but the three-year-old dark bay filly was retired to stud, which ended her short but successful racing career. Master of Hall, who was 14th on the list, will not be racing for at least a year; Saratoga Sight, an American-bred sort who was 15th on the list, has also retired to the breeding farm, while Run Thatcher Run, who was 26th on the list, will be out of racing for some time.
Bigdaddykool, who was runner-up in the last three Diamond Mile races, is ninth on the list and surely will be contesting his fourth-consecutive Diamond Mile. Houdini’s Magic, who finished in third place in the last two Diamond Mile events, could secure a spot as he is in 11th position on the list.
Apart from Supreme Soul, three-year-olds in the top 16 on list are Toona Ciliata (fifth on the list), Sentient (sixth on the list), Princess Annie (10th on the list), Princess Ava (14th on the list), and Tricky One (16th on the list).
HORSES ELIGIBLE FOR DIAMOND MILE RACE - 2019
(UP TO AND INCLUDING OCTOBER 11, 2019)
- SUPREME SOUL*** - $10,725,900
- SHE’S A MANEATER*** - $7,230,350
- STRANGER DANGER*** - $3,330,600
- ANOTHER BULLET*** - $3,167,000
- TOONA CILIATA - $2,976,000
- SENTIENT - $2,955,000
- SUPERLUMINAL - $2,601,700
- UNCLE FRANK - $2,252,750
- BIGDADDYKOOL - $2,103,650
- PRINCESS ANNIE - $2,055,000
- HOUDINI’S MAGIC - $1,893,750
- UNCLE VINNIE - $1,554,400
- DRUMMER BOY - $1,248,100
- PRINCESS AVA - $1,220,000
- FAYROUZ - $1,067,400
- TRICKY ONE - $1,060,000
- MONEY MAGNET - $1,045,600
- DONTAE - $ 869,950
- BRUCE WAYNE - $ 851,050
- SECRET TRAVELLER - $ 779,700
- LADY BLUE - $ 750,000
- SUMMER SUN - $ 728,000
- HOVER CRAFT - $ 718,400
- DYSFUNCTIONAL - $ 647,800
- BIRDIE MY LOVE - $ 591,500
- MY ELLE BELLE - $ 541,850
- UNIVERSE - $ 540,000
- CHACE THE GREAT - $ 473,200
- ROYAL VIBES - $ 407,700
- EARN YOUR STRIPES - $ 385,000
- CASUAL DRINK - $ 315,000
- ANNA LISA - $ 236,600
PEKING CRUZ - $ 236,600
- ENVISAGE - $ 230,000
- LICI’S PEPSI - $ 227,500
- ZEPHYR - $ 203,300
- SOTOMAYOR - $ 160,150
- SIR IAN LINKS - $ 160,000
- DUKE - $ 140,000
- GOD OF LOVE - $ 135,000
- MY SISTER - $ 118,300
- WINTER IS COMING - $ 109,900
- NUCLEAR FLIGHT - $ 104,700
PATRIARCH - $ 104,700
- CAPTUREMYSHIP - $ 91,000
WARTIME - $ 91,000
- RICKY RICARDO - $ 81,900
- CRIMSON - $ 80,000
- MADAM SECRETARY - $ 72,800
- PRINCESS LAUREN - $ 70,000
- AWESOME AVIATOR - $ 60,000
REGGAE GONE GRAMMY $ 60,000
- RAS EMANUEL - $ 54,000
- SERGENT RECKLESS - $ 49,500
- HEY CHAMP - $ 45,500
LOTTERY TICKET - $ 45,500
MESSI - $ 45,500
STORM VALLEY - $ 45,500
- YAYA’S DREAM - $ 42,000
- EXHILARATE - $ 35,500
- ARMAGEDDON - $ 31,300
- EL PROFESOR - $ 27,300
FIVE STAR - $ 27,300
LIGHTNING LILY - $ 27,300
- ANOTHER VIGOROUS - $ 21,000
PAKMAN - $ 21,000
YAYA’S DREAM - $ 21,000
- DRONE STRIKE - $ 18,200
FRANCIA’S PRIDE - $ 18,200
NIGHT LIGHT - $ 18,200
PLEASANT SECRET - $ 18,200
UNCLE FREDDY - $ 18,200
***ALREADY QUALIFIED
