KINGSTON, Jamaica - The third and final race of the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association-sponsored Yearling Sale series is to be contested tomorrow.
To be run over a distance of eight furlongs (1,600 m), this event has attracted six starters who all passed through the 2018 Yearling Sale.
Missing from action is Wow Wow, the champion two-year-old last year and winner of the first two races in the series. The absence of Wow Wow means that the $3-million bonus paid to the winner of the three races cannot be won.
It is understood that Wow Wow was struck down by the illness currently affecting horses at Caymanas Park. He is now on the mend having returned to exercise on Wednesday last.
Nonetheless, this third encounter does possess a competitive element which this publication will try to decipher, in what has turned out to be the Anthony Nunes – Gary Subratie handicap.
An analysis of each of the six runners is published below.
1 PHAROAH IT IS: (three-year-old b g – Market Rally – Noon It Is) – Pharoah It Is has not raced in 77 days and even with first time Lasix being administered cannot be given even a whiff of a chance of winning especially being a maiden running against winners.
2 NIPSTER: (three-year-old b c – Casual Trick – Nippit) – Nipster found himself when he ran out the spirited winner of the Sir Howard Stakes on February 22. The Sir Howard was over six furlongs (1,200m), but Nipster has raced over a mile before (December 26, 2020), finishing fourth, 3 ½ lengths behind now stablemate Wow Wow. In tomorrow’s race, Nipster will be allowing lumps of weight to all of his rivals, and this may prove to be his downfall. Nipster races for the first time under the care of trainer Gary Subratie, and as a result, a lot of eyes will be on this colt.
3 TASK FORCE: (three-year-old b f – Casual Trick – Eighteen Karat) – Task Force was a winner on last but is more of a sprinter in the making. One mile against these might be difficult for Task Force to handle at this stage in her career.
4 SENCITY: (three-year-old dkb f – Sensational Slam – City Train) – Sencity is a winner of one race from eight starts, but is out of her depth in this one as the learning curve continues for this filly.
5 ABOVE AND BEYOND: (three-year-old c f – Blue Pepsi Lodge – Rumble) – Above and Beyond has not raced since December 14, 2019. Then she was an impressive winner travelling six-and-a-half furlongs, clocking a fast time of 1:18.3. In winning that race, Above and Beyond defeated the talented Mahogany by 2 ½ lengths. This filly has been meticulously primed for the Classic season, and her exercise spins indicate that she is ready for battle. Based on her running style, one mile should not be an issue for Above and Beyond.
6 DENDEN: (three-year-old b c – Nasheet – Rushing Force) – Denden is not ready for these as yet. He is a maiden taking on winners.
