KINGSTON, Jamaica - IN The Blood, a fractious four-year-old gelding, justified the confidence of bettors after initially looking an expensive flop in three of his 10 previous starts. Proving problematic to enter the gates and being the last to leave as usual, Phillip Parchment made sure he made ground early to beat an inexperienced field of maidens for trainer Patrick Fong, and win his first race from 41 starts this year.
In the second, Luminous Power trained by Cashbert Khwalsingh was wisely ridden by Osive Donegal as the reinsman waited behind a suicidal early pace before choosing a path along the far rails, thus getting the lead late from the hurriedly ridden favourite Trickster (Dick Cardenas).
Consistent six-year-old mare Eddie’s Princess confirmed favouritism comfortably, with Dick Cardenas showing more patience to win the third event for trainer Donovan Plummer.
The fourth on the nine-race card went predictably to long odds-on favourite Parajet who was, under apprentice Oshane Nugent, always clear for conditioner Ryan Darby’s first of two wins on the day.
In the fifth, Cardenas was back to his old impatient self when he tried to make all with Dezzy The Genius, a gelding whose best past performances came from off the pace. Anthony Thomas delivered a delayed challenge on favourite Hover Craft to just outstay the front-runner for trainer Wayne DaCosta’s opening win of a double.
Tevin Foster’s good recent form was emphasised in the sixth as he rode Wayne Parchment’s Redford perfectly for his first of two wins. Contesting a strong early pace down the backstretch and wresting the lead at the top of the home straight, the gelding Redford stayed on well enough to deny the late challenge of favourite Sweet Toppins (Anthony Thomas), thus forcing DaCosta to wait longer for more success on the card. In the nightcap, Foster kept Madam Secretary comfortably in front his and trainer Ryan Darby’s second as well.
Bred, owned and trained by Carl Anderson, favourite Special Counsel sprinted four lengths clear in the hands of leading reinsman Dane Nelson to win the seventh.
The penultimate and feature 1000-metre straight G A “Sarge” Bucknor Memorial Cup provided an opportunity for apprentice Abigail Able to justify her surname, as she induced a decisive turn of finishing speed from 13/1 shot Drummer Boy for trainer DaCosta’s second win.
