KINGSTON, Jamaica - Abigail Able won her first race of the season on Saturday, May 13, 2023, when she guided the Jason DaCosta-trained Miniature Man to a comfortable victory in the Yvonne Mattis Cup feature race.
Travelling nine furlongs (1,800m) for the Overnight Allowance contest for three year olds and upwards, Miniature Man won the race by three lengths in a time of 1:54.3 (25.0 x 49.3 x 1:14.3 x 1:40.0).
“The performance was a good one from Miniature Man as he did everything right to win the race and I am happy with the win also. Leaving the six furlong, I felt him pulling me and so when I reached the half-mile I let him go and he responded and won really good,” Able said in her post-race interview.
“I am feeling great. I mean, this is my first win for the year and I am grateful. I will continue to do the hard work and hopefully I can get more winners. Look out for more greatness from me,” she added.
Miniature Man took the lead early in the race, battling Big Big Daddy (Dane Dawkins) and Stomp The Rhythm (Anthony Thomas). Able took Miniature Man off the pace a bit leaving the seven-furlong (1,400m) intersection, and watched as D Head Cornerstone (Paul Francis) blazed the way ahead of Big Big Daddy, Daddy Jones (Youville Pinnock), and Stomp The Rhythm down the backstretch.
Able waited patiently before sending Miniature Man to the lead at the half-mile (800m), and from there the five-year-old chestnut gelding was never hindered on his way to his first win of the year in five starts. Stomp The Rhythm came in second, with Marquesas (Jerome Innis) securing third place.
