FOUR HORSES CLAIMED
Two horses were snared from the fifth event, with the flopped favourite Stanislaus going to trainer Ray Phillips for owner Percival Hussey from the barn of Steven Todd while Super Amia was claimed from Byron Davis by Welsh Soutar for owner Carl Gordon. Both were tagged for $250,000.
Manaco, the winner of the sixth event, was claimed from trainer Anthony Nunes by Randolph Scott for owner Righteous One, and Dale Murphy tagged second runner-up Sniper Man from trainer Jason DaCosta for owner Derrick Martin. Both horses were claimed for $400,000 each.
SLAMSILANO BREAKS WINLESS DROUGHT
After going winless in 23 starts last year Slamsilano rose to the occasion on his seasonal bow, handing trainer Lance Richards and jockey Samantha Fletcher their first wins in the new year with a strong performance in a Restricted Allowance event over seven furlongs (1,400m).
The assignment, which was the five-year-old chestnut gelding’s easiest in a while, was made simpler when favourite Fearless Vibe stumbled at the start, ditching jockey Paul Francis in the process.
That was in addition to the scratches of Champion Michaela and Mule Train while Audibility breached the dummy rails and also got rid of rider Roger Hewitt in what was an eventful first event on the nine-race card.
With only two of his initial six rivals to contend with – Hopenperseverance (Christopher Mamdeen) and Six Avenue (Tevin Foster) – the D&C Syndicate-owned Slamsilano duly obliged to register only his second career win in 38 starts.
Fletcher sent the Sensational Slam-Kitsilano charge in front from the wide number seven draw and from there it became a mere formality. They pranced to a comfortable, seven-length win in a final time of 1:31.1, after splits of 24.3, 48.2, and 1:15.3. Six Avenue took second ahead of Hopenperseverance.
CHAMPION JOCKEY DANE DAWKINS OFF THE MARK
Having secured his first jockeys’ title last year, Dane Dawkins wasted little time in opening his account for the 2023 season.
Dawkins won aboard Ian Parsard’s Wifey Sez So in a four-year-old and upwards optional claiming ($250,000-$200,000) event coming down the five-furlong (1,000m) straight course.
That performance by Wifey Sez So, which was also Parsard’s first win for the year, pushed Dawkins’ career tally to 297 wins — three away from the 300 mark.
Dawkins ensured the oftentimes fractious Wifey Sez So tidily came away from post position eight to marshal proceedings on the headlines. By the time they flashed past the dummy rails, the six-year-old bay mare had opened up a huge gap and only needed a few reminders before being eased by Dawkins in the nine-and-a-quarter-length romp.
After splits of 23.0 and 47.0 seconds, Wifey Sez So (Bern Identity-Keep the Faith) stopped the clock at 1:01.0, ahead of Supreme Star (Shavon Townsend) and Stanislaus (Richard Byrd).
ROBERT FFRENCH SCORES WITH SECRET TRAVELLER
Robert Ffrench, who gained his trainers’ licence in the United States at Gulfstream Park in Florida, had the distinction of registering his first win of the year from his first start when Secret Traveller topped a three-year-old and upwards claiming ($750,000-$600,000) call travelling seven furlongs (1,400m). That win was Secret Traveller’s first in over a year. Ridden by Roger Hewitt, the nine-year-old bay gelding (Traditional-Sea Traveller) broke well from the number four draw and was patiently held off the fractions by his jockey. As Jon P (Samantha Fletcher) and Danny Spud (Odeen Edwards) dictated terms, Hewitt steadily brought Secret Traveller into contention leaving the half-mile, with Another Bullet (Dane Dawkins) and Zabratone (Tevin Foster) breathing down his neck.However, when they entered the stretch run Secret Traveller — on the wide outside — briskly swept by Danny Spud and maintained his gallop to win by one and a quarter lengths ahead of the fast-finishing Another Bullet and Colorado Ranger (Bebeto Harvey). The final time was 1:29.3 behind splits of 24.4, 49.0, and 1:15.2.
DOUBLE FOR RAMON NEPARE AS XCEPTIONAL BABZ SHEDS MAIDEN
Apprentice Ramon Nepare again demonstrated his capabilities in the saddle when he booted home a noticeable double aboard Keffin Murray’s Roraima and the highly touted Xceptional Babz, owned and conditioned by Norman Smith, in the seventh and eighth events, respectively.
Nepare showed strong handling to first open his account for the season with a gate-to-wire performance aboard Roraima in a Restricted Allowance event over 9 furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m).
Roraima, a four-year-old bay colt out of Bern Identity-Classic Princess, was comfortable the entire journey with a confident-looking Nepare peaking between his legs throughout the four-and-three-quarter-length romp. They clocked a flat 2:00.0 minutes in victory ahead of Fly Messenger Fly (Javaniel Patterson) and Amad Ali (Dane Dawkins).
Nepare and Xceptional Babz, coming off an almost three-month break, were even more impressive in victory, topping the four-year-old and upwards Restricted Maiden Condition Race, over six furlongs (1,200m), by seven and a half lengths.
Racing during a heavy downpour of rain, Nepare held the four-year-old chestnut filly (Sensational Slam – Jesse’s Favorite) off the pace.
But the conditions mattered little as the apprentice hugged the inside rails coming into the stretch run and later sent the filly on her way to justifying her overwhelming favouritism. They covered the distance in 1:15.3, ahead of Millinium Star (Javaniel Patterson) and Heroine (Paul Francis).
