THE unbeaten In The Headlines notched her fifth victory in succession to become the first filly in 56 years to capture the Triple Crown, yesterday, at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.
The 8/5 second favourite completed the sweep of the prestigious Grade One series for West Indian-bred three-year-olds with victory in the Trinidad Derby Stakes, the premier event of the local horse racing calendar.
In The Headlines is the first member of the fairer sex to win the Guineas, Midsummer Classic and Derby since Chip Chip way back in 1967 when she prevailed in the first leg at Union Park, Marabella, and the other two legs at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
The Ladies Stables-owned chestnut became the fifth Triple Crown winner since the sport was centralised at Arima in 1994, following in the hoofprints of Carnival Messiah (2001), Top Of The Class (’03), Momentum (’14) and Wise Guy (2020).
In The Headlines followed up last year’s heroine Soca Harmony as fillies to have won the Derby in consecutive editions. And it has been at least six decades since fillies went back-to-back in copping the Blue Riband.
The daughter of Headline Hews also became the third unbeaten Derby winner at Santa Rosa Park, following Academy Award in 2016 and Cape Canaveral, two years later.
And In The Headlines’ handler John O’Brien became the first trainer to saddle four consecutive winners of the Derby, which was reportedly first contested in 1930 at the Savannah.
O’Brien’s streak began with Wise Guy and continued with Stroke Of Luck, who became his record ninth winner two years ago.
Although In The Headlines had never tasted defeat before, punters made stable companion Hello World the overwhelming favourite in yesterday’s penultimate event of the six-race Republic Day holiday card.
But although the $115,000 affair was contested over the maximum trip of 2,000 metres, the 1/5 chance was very far back turning for home and ended up finishing 1 1/2 lengths adrift in second, after being about eight lengths behind the winner in mid-stretch.
Hello World had sauntered home by 11 lengths in a 1,750-metre contest three weeks earlier, after finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind In The Headlines in second, on his return from a six-month layoff in the Midsummer Classic on Emancipation Day.
Theory Of Colours was ten lengths behind the runner-up in third yesterday, after placing second in the Guineas and third in the “Midsummer.”
In The Headlines, bred by co-owner Diane Scott, first hit the front just after the halfway stage in the hands of former two-time champion apprentice Rico Hernandez, a replacement for injured apprentice Tristan Phillips, who rode her in the previous two legs. The syndicate collected almost $70,000 for the historic victory.
