Dick Cardenas, the 2011 champion jockey, brought his experience into play aboard Bush Fire, declared by Anthony Smith for the five-and-a-half furlong opening event.
In front immediately, Bush Fire (5-2) was joined and headed narrowly by 4-5 favourite Abreathoffreshair, ridden by claiming apprentice Demar Williams inside the 150 yards. Obviously, as a deliberate tactical ploy, Cardenas deployed this age-old trick to apparently surrender the lead, then produce the final rallying effort 30 yards out to get his mount home by a neck.
Race two, over five furlongs round, was won by God of Love (2-5), owned and trained by Fitzgerald Richards, was ridden by claimer Richie Shakes for a three-and-a-half length margin of victory.
Seven furlongs was the trip of the third event, and it had had an exciting finish. Havajoy (Chalrick Budhai), conditioned by Ray Phillips, led and repelled, by a shorthead, the sustained challenge of claiming apprentice Dane McKenzie aboard Rock-Ola (9-5) for the entire trip and further survived a steward’s inquiry and an objection by the rider of the runner-up.
On the day, champion and leading trainer Jason DaCosta had the first of two trips to the winners’ enclosure with 7-1 bet Star Quest, well ridden by claimer Eric Haughton to score by a half a length over the six furlongs of race four.
In race five, owner/trainer Oral Hayden presented Unruly Mo (USA), a 2-1 betting option in improved condition. Former two-time champion Shane Ellis guided the three-year-old colt to a controlled and measured two-length success over the five-furlong straight course.
At odds of 8-1, Workout Cru (USA), owned and trained by O’Neil Markland, recovered from being unbalanced at the start by a broadside from the opponent drawn alongside to win race six over four furlongs straight. Although hindered in the first few strides and the event was only a dash, Demar Williams was able to get Workout Cru on her bridle early. She responded well inside the last 150 yards to win the competitive event by a half-length.
The six-furlong I’m Satisfied Trophy, staged as race seven to recognise the exploits of this 2000 Triple Crown champion, was the featured event on a programme of nine races. Mamma Mia (6-1), tuned to the minute by DaCosta to close the stable double, led from five furlongs out. Under a very well-paced ride from Jerome Innis, recently back from a 25-day suspension, Mamma Mia ran very well inside the last furlong to beat the chasing Money Market (Dane Dawkins) convincingly by just over four lengths.
Promoted to second from third place, favourite at 7-5 Unspun (USA), lost ground early when Money Market (9/5) got into the path of Perfect Brew (Demar Williams), resulting in the fall of this horse. The race day Operation Stewards inflicted the maximum penalty on Money Market, with the rare ‘out-of-the-race’ disqualification treating the offender as if it did not start and therefore ineligible for any portion of the purse money or appearance fee. The matter pending now is whether or not Dawkins was at fault and could face further action.
Races eight and nine had wide-margin winners, both progenies of prolific stallion Bern Identity, in the form of maiden colt Rush Of Class (8-5) and the Overnight Allowance/high-claiming campaigner D Head Cornerstone (8-5) respectively.
Firstly, saddled by Dalton Sirjue and ridden by former six-time champion Omar Walker, Rush Of Class led from the jump out of the gate and increased its advantage to 14½ lengths when the arrival of the winning post signalled the end of the seven-furlong gallop.
Secondly, in a similar fashion and even more impressively, toting top weight, D Head Cornerstone, with the 2023 champion Reyan Lewis aboard, from whom any assistance would have been surplus to requirement, the six-year-old bay horse from the stable of Peter-John Parsard was 16 ½ lengths the best of the 11 starters. D Head Cornerstone was claimed at the $1.5 million tag by trainer Ryan Darby for owner Rohan Daley.
The Training Feat Award is presented to DaCosta for the form displayed at this level by Mamma Mia. This type of performance is somewhat rare for a five-year-old locally bred mare and was the Best Winning Gallop. Although Cardenas (Bush Fire), Budhai (Havajoy) and Williams (Workout Cru) were considered, the Jockeyship Award goes to Eric Haughton for his performance in inducing the winning effort from off the pace by Star Quest, who demonstrably preferred front running tactics in his prior races.
