Featured on the programme of ten races and staged as race three, was another renewal of the 1400-metre Mr Sensational Trophy restricted to two-year-olds.
On the basis of a series of spectacular exercise gallops, including 1:12.4 for 1200 metres, debutant Unruly Mo (USA) was bet at odds of 3-5. However, his performance did not match his promise as, after being slowly into stride, he led for 1000 metres before falling behind to finish last of the six starters by over 14 lengths.
On the other hand, Unspun (USA), saddled by Donovan Hutchinson and ridden by Christopher Mamdeen, scored by two and a half lengths at odds of 8-5 in a game display.
The colt, a progeny of Kentucky based stallion Spun To Run, has now won two of four starts. The connections of Unspun (USA) chased a $2.0 million bonus made possible by an eligibility fee of $160,000 to participate in this third race of the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission-Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association Millionaires Series.
In the day’s opener, Beautiful Moon, a maiden four-year-old filly, who made the frame in five of her last six races dominated the early fractions and won the 1100-metre sprint between the stirrups of Javaniel Patterson for trainer Cashbert Khwalsingh.
In race two, Havajoy (3-1), declared by Donovan Thompson and guided by veteran Oneil Mullings, led early and remained at least two lengths clear right throughout the 1500-metre effort.
Race four was another example of the huge number of farcical Claiming System races with inferior horses conceding weight to superior ones producing hundreds of odd-on favourites and wide margin winners annually.
This was demonstrated by a near ten-length romp over the 800 metres by 4-5 bet Storm Valley, entered by Marlon Pusey and partnered by leading reinsman Raddesh Roman for the first of his riding double.
Speaking of wide-margin scorers further, 6-5 favourite and winner of race five over 1200 metres, Prince Dominik (Shavon Townsend) trained by Edward Walker, for the first of a stable double, posted the identical winning advantage of nine and three parts of a length achieved by Storm Valley in the previous event.
Walker’s double success was confirmed in the closing event with Simba The Lion (6-1) making it all over the 1200 metres with another smooth effort in the saddle from underrated reinsman Youville Pinnock.
Race six, a maiden condition event for four-year-olds and upwards, contested by a field of 15 over the full straight course, went Saqlain Roman’s Dream To Reality (2-1) ridden by Jerome Innis to secure a two-length advantage at the line.
Henry Harrison Jnr posted his third winner from 12 starts this season with 15-1 bet Bugatti (Robert Halledeen) scoring by a half a length in race seven which was run on the straight course.
Since his return from his most recent engagement in Canada, Dane Dawkins, the 2022 champion jockey continues and has maintained a decent strike rate. Truth be told he was at his best in the close finish of the eighth event. Steven Todd’s US-bred maiden filly Pope’s Lady (USA) filly, bet at 9-5 got off the mark by a half a length over the 1000-metre straight course. In no small measure, this victory had a lot to do with the skill set of Dawkins.
The battle for the 2024 riding title is likely to take a decisive turn over the next three race days. Raddesh Roman, on 120 and starting the day one win ahead of chief rival Tevin Foster, in closing his double got the better of him in the 1200-metre race nine.
Foster, aboard 8-5 favourite Smart Trick had the colt in front and clear 400 metres out but could not repel the strong late challenge Roman’s mount Tiffany Blu (4-1) saddled by Gary Crawford. In this stare-down Foster may have blinked first but there are interesting times still ahead.
