KINGSTON, Jamaica - Champion trainer Jason DaCosta was a pleased man after watching his charge Boasey enhance her prospects for the Classic season with a stylish performance against the colts in a three-year-old Maiden Condition race at Caymanas Park on Saturday (January 7).
After finishing fifth on debut on the five-furlong (1,000m) round course on December 10, the powerfully built filly (Casual Trick –The Golden One), partnered with Omar Walker, defied her relative in-experience to shed the maiden tag and give her Classic-chasing trainer much to smile about.
Though she only had five rivals to contend with following the late scratch of Roulette Boss, winning the seven furlongs (1,400m) assignment initially seemed a tall order for the lone filly among the colts, especially, with Gary Subratie’s highly thought of Big Guy In TheSky (Shane Ellis) selling down the tote board.
From the off, Boasey went straight to the front to dictate the early fractions, before being swiftly joined by a strong travelling Big Guy In TheSky (Shane Ellis), and the two flashed past the six-furlong point with very little to separate them heading toward the five-furlong mark.
By the time they got there, Walker and Boasey slipped into a half-length lead and before long, the relaxed-looking pair opened up a gap on their closest pursuer.
Turning for home, Boasey, now two-lengths in front, darted to the inner rails and Walker briskly switched her lead leg to ensure she maintained a steady gallop. And while the boys came charging late, Boasey was not for passing, with Walker waving away with the right-hand stick ensured she stayed on to score by three-quarters of a length.
Big Guy In TheSky, Truly Begotten Son (Odeen Edwards) and Modern Miracle (Tevin Foster) completed the frame.
The Phillip Azar-owned Boasey completed the distance in 1:29.1, after splits of 24.1, 47.3, and 1:14.1.
DaCosta was delighted with the filly’s manner of victory.
“She is a decent filly who is improving, so we expected a good run and she did well on what was only her second race,” DaCosta told this publication in a post-race interview.
“The time might not have been eye-catching, but it was a good performance so I can’t complain. The two horses went fast early and she held on. So it is so far so good and you could only be pleased with the performance,” he added.
While uncertain of when Boasey will next be at the races, DaCosta made didn’t mince words when making clear what his intentions are for the filly.
“We’ll see how she comes out of the race and then we decide on where we go from there. I only hope she continues to improve so we can have a shot in the Classics later this year,” he declared.
However, when quizzed about his ambitions to retain his title, the newly-minted champion trainer, who had a double on the day courtesy of Iannai Links’s victory in the following event, was coy in his response.
The Ian Lodge-owned Iannai Links, ridden by Reyan Lewis, topped a Restricted Allowance field by six and a quarter lengths, covering seven and a half furlongs (1,500m) in 1:34.1.
“Yeah, I’m happy with how we have started the year, it [winning the championship] was a lot of hard work, but we will just try to keep doing what we do, which is to win races and whatever happens at the end, happens,” DaCosta ended.
