A look on the nine races run on the day
KINGSTON, JAMAICA - IN the absence of any trophy on offer, traditional or otherwise, the main event was deemed to be the 1000-metre-straight Overnight Allowance staged as the seventh on the nine-race programme. There were two significant declarations in the field of nine.
Firstly, there was the return of the Spencer Chung-conditioned, five-year-old, US-bred grey, Race Car (Dane Nelson) – a winner of four of five starts locally but who has been sidelined since winning on August 6, 2020. Secondly, Jason DaCosta’s She’s My Destiny (Anthony Thomas), who impressed in her last two races with wide-margin victories in spectacular times of 1:17.2 and 1:25.1 over 1300 and 1400 metres, respectively was also seeking win number five from six career starts.
In US-bred, consistent, four-year-old filly Go Deh Girl (Tevin Foster) at odds of 5/2, trained by three-time champion Anthony Nunes, both She’s My Destiny and Race Car were outsprinted throughout. The former was dismissed from sharing the headlines 300 metres out and the latter’s later challenge failed by a length to get on terms with the game American’s clocking of the 59.0 seconds for the winner’s time.
Fortuneonehundred (5/2), trained by Anthony Subratie and ridden by Reyan Lewis in the 12-year-old US-bred horse’s customary front-running style, landed the opening 1100-metre event to register a 25th victory in an eighty-race career spanning a decade in Jamaica.
As more of the foals of 2020 become active, the second event run over 1400 for maidens had an interesting outcome. Four-to-five favourite Scooby (Oshane Thomas) from the Richard Azan barn drifted right significantly when challenging chief rival, the Ian Parsard-schooled Berning Red (6/5) ridden by Omar Walker. Berning Red got home by just over one length from another Azan entry, Rum Puncher (Dane Nelson), with the diagonal-running Scooby less than a length and a half in third with the winner all out. These three-year-olds all possess scope for improvement.
Long-serving owner/breeder/trainer Carl Anderson opened his seasonal account with 5/2 bet Lord Of Ajahlon (Paul Francis) scoring in the day’s third over 1100 metres while Special Counsel saddled by Jason DaCosta, having prepared exceptionally well, justified 4/5 favouritism in escaping from her nearest pursuer by just over one length in the 1000-metre-straight fourth race gallop. This was the first of two wins on the card for three-time and reigning champion jockey Anthony Thomas.
In race five, run over 1300 metres, 8/1 shot Nez Perce, conditioned by Wayne Parchment, gave apprentice Andre Powell his sixth winning mount of the season and the trainer his first.
Thomas got his second an hour after his first with Marlon Anderson’s Stickydon’s (5/2) two-and-half-length victory margin in the afternoon’s sixth run at 1200 metres for maiden four-year-olds and upwards.
I’ve Got Magic was the third US importee to score. Veteran Everton Miller delivered a well-timed effort to touch off long-time leader Regnant (Omar Walker) by a short head. The well-conformed four-year-old colt, trained by former 13-time titlist Philip Feanny, arrived in the final stride of the 1300-metre eighth event. The American breeding success was capped in the 1300-metre ninth and closing event, with Katarina (Javaniel Patterson), whose dam was imported in foal, overcoming a tardy start to land a gamble at 2/1 for trainer Gary Crawford.
With Fortuneonehundred (USA), winning four of his last five appearances, the Training Feat Award is presented to Anthony Subratie for posting the old stager in good enough condition to deliver the Best Winning Gallop. Former top flight reinsman Everton Miller gets the Jockeyship Award for giving the current fans a glimpse of his prowess during his long-past heydays with the victory of I’ve Got Magic (USA).
