With the euphoric attraction of 2024 Mouttet Mile race day in the rear-view mirror, it is now back to the normal service with this season’s jockeys’ championship contest back on centre stage.
Saturday was day one of the fifth renewal of the annual two-day Summit Of Speed race days on which no distance beyond six furlongs was offered in the projections.
Featured on this programme of nine races was the Ahwhofah Trophy and the conditions of entry and weight allotment produced a predictable outcome.
Conditioned by Peter-John Parsard, Bootylicious (4-5), a filly of proven superior form, dominated the early fractions of the six furlongs gallop. The speedy and consistent four-year-old remained clear to score by over four lengths easing down with the skill set of outgoing champion jockey Reyan Lewis not required at any stage.
In the opening event, run at five furlongs round, four-kilogramme claiming reinsman Akeem Grant now in his fifth year in the saddle made use of the opportunity to demonstrate that he is more capable than his returns of less than ten winners up to now suggests.
Grant looked confident in his skills aboard Dancinginthebreeze (3-1) in guiding the six-year-old gelding to win by a neck for trainer Edward Stanberry.
Race two, restricted to foals of 2023, and contested by a field of eight over four furlongs straight was won by debutant Enthusiasm (3-1) schooled by former three-time champion Anthony Nunes for the first of a stable double.
Ridden by former six-time titlist Omar Walker, the nicely conformed filly, the first progeny of Classic winning local stallion Wow Wow to race, led and held on gamely by a margin of three parts of a length.
By race three, it became time for title chasing reinsman Tevin Foster on a 120 to make up on the deficit of three held by chief rival Raddesh Roman.
Imported 4-5 bet five-year-old mare Mudshaft (USA), a dual winner overseas, was gifted the event. Allotted 109 and toting 117 lbs, Foster sat virtually motionless throughout the five furlongs straight gallop for trainer Matthew Williams’ charge to score by 10 lengths thus underscoring the lack of quality in operating with a flawed racing product. Mudshaft was the first winner in Jamaica for Williams.
As the US Jockey Club discovered, a Claiming System cannot operate in the interest of the majority hence the 33-year progressive decline of the racing industry. At some point, the pretense it has worked or is working in Jamaica will become too expensive for the long-suffering owners.
The result of the 5 ½ furlongs race four gave another example of the overmatching of horses in the artificial classification of the horse population. Declared by Steven Todd, She’s That Girl (4-5), a winner of three races and ridden for the first of a double by 2022 champion Dane Dawkins beat Teflon Don (2-1) also a three-time winner by two lengths. The remainder of the runners only won two races each which resulted in the third horse finishing all seven lengths adrift.
Saddled by Patrick Lynch and ridden by Robert Halledeen, Manny Slam (9-2) was just over four lengths better that his closest rival over the 5 ½ furlongs of race five.
While in race six, 5-1 fancied My Sunshine, owned and trained by Tensang Chung and partnered by claiming jockey Samantha Fletcher, won the five furlongs straight by one and a half lengths.
Both riders have had a lot to celebrate recently. Halledeen won the $US250,000 Mouttet Mile last race day and Miss Fletcher was successful in claiming likely significant compensatory damages from the Jamaica Racing Commission. The Supreme Court ruled in her favour by overturning a 25-day ban imposed earlier this year by the regulatory body.
Race seven for three-year-old maidens and run over the straight course went by a margin of five and a half lengths to Radam (3-1).
Therefore Foster, in tandem with Nunes, confirmed double successes on the card. In race eight, run at 5 ½ furlongs, Dawkins also had confirmation of his two-timer as Sipping On Sunshine (3-1) trained by Nicholas Wehby, delivered a hard-fought shorthead victory over even money favourite Adira ridden by Roman.
