KINGSTON, Jamaica - Logical Selection: Cryptogirl in the Easter Monday 3-Year-Old Non-2 Call
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The second event on Easter Monday (April 1, 2024) features a contest for three-year-old non-winners of two races, exclusive to locally bred horses and open to maiden foreign competitors.
The race will unfold over a distance of 5 ½ furlongs, with a compact field of six entrants.
Below is an evaluation from The Quick Galloper.
1 - O SO SMART, a chestnut filly born on May 24, is sired by Soul Warrior and out of Patchwork. She is under the care of Steven Todd and will have Paul Francis guiding her on the track. O So Smart will compete wearing a visor and tongue tie for this race, following an equipment adjustment post her moderate sixth-place finish, 8 ½ lengths behind Banadura in the 6-furlong Hot Line Stakes. Having had that experience, expectations are high for an improved performance from O So Smart.
2 - BUTTERCUP, a bay filly with a birthday on February 2, is the offspring of Conquest Cherimash and Shahar, trained by Richard Azan with Shavon Townsend in charge of the reins. Buttercup ended up 4 ½ lengths back from her stable companions Matuso and Comehometome on March 9. Buttercup, off a decent seasonal debut, appears well set for a commendable effort.
3 - CRYPTOGIRL, a chestnut filly born on April 18, is another progeny of Soul Warrior and out of Twilight Eruption. Donovan Plummer is the trainer and Omar Walker will be at the helm. Known for her exceptional pace, Cryptogirl assumed the lead for much of the six furlongs during the recent Hot Line Stakes just nine days prior. She is the one to chase down in this race.
4 - PLAYFAIR, born on April 26, is a bay colt by Sensational Slam out of I Am The One. Anthony Nunes coaches Playfair, who will be ridden by international jock Pablo Morales. Playfair, who will race with blinkers, did not show enough promise in the slower-paced Sir Howard Stakes to indicate a victory over this field is within easy reach.
5 - COMEHOMETOME, a bay filly with a March 23 birthdate, is by Northern Giant and out of Heart Of Gold. She is trained by Jason DaCosta and will have Josue Osorio as her jockey. She placed third in the Hot Line, trailing four lengths behind the second-place finisher, Cryptogirl. With the race distance decreased by half a furlong, Comeshometome's chances of winning seem constrained.
6 - TRAIN OF THOUGHT, a dark bay filly from the USA born on May 4, is by Mor Spirit and out of Equitable. Trained by Anthony Nunes and ridden by Reyluis Gutierrez, she was outpaced by Chocomo in her last outing. Now facing less formidable competition, Train of Thought cannot be overlooked and may present a strong challenge.