KINGSTON, Jamaica – Second-generation trainer Gary Subratie is of the view that, mathematically, he has an outside chance of winning his first trainer’s championship title.
Subratie’s expressed this view after the D Head Cornerstone made light work of rivals to win the $1.09-million United Racehorse Trainers’ Association Trophy feature event on Saturday, November 19, 2022. D Head Cornerstone, bred by Bern Identity and out of Soul of the Heart, won a native-bred three-year-old and four-year-old (non-winners of four) Restricted Stakes over nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820 m), by 2 3/4 lengths.
"We are trying to get the horses to perform as well as possible coming down to the last part of the year, and I want to give myself a chance by getting through the big race [Mouttet Mile] with the filly (Atomica) or even Calculus and see what happens; you never know what will happen," said Subratie.
D Head Cornerstone settled in mid-pack and watched as The Citadel (Jerome Innis) carried the field around the clubhouse turn and onto the main track. The Citadel continued to blaze the trail down the backstretch ahead of I Realise (Tevin Foster) and Sunset Silhouette (Anthony Thomas), with D Head Cornerstone tracking from fourth place.
The Citadel upped the tempo navigating the half-mile (800m) turn, with jockey Reyan Lewis on D Head Cornerstone decided it was time to move. With the momentum going his way D Head Cornerstone then drew alongside The Citadel in deep stretch for a brief battle before powering off to win without any fuss.
The Citadel held on well for second place with Sunset Silhouette third. After splits of 25.3 x 49.4 x 1:15.0 x 1:43.2, the final time was recorded at 1:57.2.
"I want to run him [D Head Cornerstone] in the Overnight Allowance race on December 3, and this win will help him a lot. He has really improved, and let’s see what happens going forward," Subratie said.
