KINGSTON, Jamaica - TRAINED by Gary Subratie, Calculus (6-5), champion stayer for 2022, was presented with a straightforward exercise in a bid for his handlers to claim a second-consecutive hold on the featured Miracle Man Cup run as the seventh of the ten races programmed.
Robert Halledeen made sure to send the champion in early pursuit of pacemaker Lure of Lucy (USA). The mare, pressured to the limit of her stamina, surrendered the lead to Calculus with 700 of the 1900 hundred metres remaining. For his eleventh success from 28 starts he was two and a half lengths clear of nearest rival King Arthur (Omar Walker), still a good stayer having won the 2020 Jamaica Derby.
Contested over 1000 metres of the round course the opening event was secured from in front by the Alford Brown-trained filly Gracefully Made (2-1), with former three-time champion Anthony Thomas at the reins.
In race two Roger Hewitt rode the first of his two successes on the day as Rum With Me (2-1) displayed superior finishing speed at the business end of the 1100-metre gallop for trainer Ray Phillips to open his 2023 account, with a second to come later.
American importee Stranger Danger (Dane Dawkins), now trained by Fitzgerald Richards, had a sensational start to his local exploits, reeling off eight consecutive victories in his first two seasons. Winning today over the 1000 metres straight of race three at odds of 2-5, the seven-year-old dark bay horse has therefore extended his problem-plagued career to 11 successes from 33 appearances.
Winner of two races from 21 efforts and partnered by Reyan Lewis, Luksol (USA) — saddled by champion Jason DaCosta — dominated the early fractions of the 1000-metre straight gallop of race four to score by two and a half lengths, rewarding backers odds of 3-1.
In race five, former three-time trainer titlist Anthony Nunes’ maiden filly Savvy Girl (2-1), with Tevin Foster in the irons, was unchallenged in the home straight and won by nine and a half lengths.
Keffin Murray saddled speedy Magical Mood (5-1) for the 1200-metre sixth; veteran reinsman Oneil Mullings induced the five-year-old mare to outsprint eight rivals by one and a half lengths.
For the closure of his riding double it was Hewitt’s time again in the 1000-metre straight race eight as the bustling rider was comfortably five and half lengths clear aboard Queen Zan (5-1) for conditioner Junior Small’s first trip to the winners’ enclosure this year.
In race nine, run over 1300 metres, it was Ray Phillips’s opportunity to improve his day’s success by 100 per cent, his maiden four-year-old filly Just Move In (Matthew Bennett) never looking likely to surrender her early advantage that was stretched to five and a half lengths at odds of 3-1.
In the closing event Colin Ferguson’s US-bred mare Solid Approach (Christopher Mamdeen) was good enough to justify being favoured at even money as Solid Approach outlasted 11 opponents by three parts of a length.
The Training Feat Award is presented to trainer Ray Phillips for his success with Rum With Me and Just Move In, neither of which is easy to train. The Best Winning Gallop was delivered by Calculus, who conceded upwards of four and a half kilos to five rivals, whilst the Jockeyship Award goes to Oneil Mullings for his textbook front-running effort tactics on Magical Mood.
