Jockey Youville Pinnock earns first four-timer
KINGSTON, Jamaica - THE QUICK GALLOPER’s race-by-race assessment following the conclusion of each race day continues with the target date for analysis, Saturday, March 26, 2022. Readers on QUICKGALLOP.COM please note that this analysis may exclude certain race(s), which will be dealt with in separate articles.
The race day under scrutiny was designated as Grooms’ Association Day, with the Grooms’ Association Trophy the feature. Each race was named after a long-standing groom.
RACE ONE – Princess Alani returned to the track after a break of 175 days in a three-year-old maiden race at 5 ½ furlongs. Trained by Ray Phillips with Omar Walker in the saddle, Princess Alani raced prominently before striking in the straight. Princess Alani now joins a long list of progressive three-year-old fillies inclusive of Golden Wattle, Atomica, Outbidder, and others ready to pounce as the Classics get closer. Princess Alani should not be thrown aside as her time of 1:08.0 is not a bad clocking given the slow nature of the race track at this time. Of note also in this race was the run by first-timer Pretty Girl. She finished fourth, which is not of great significance, but she was hampered shortly after the start and again when running on in the straight. Place a watch on Pretty Girl went next on the track.
RACE TWO – A dogged duel led to Sheer Beauty (Chris Mamdeen) edging Dodge This Link (Dane Dawkins) by a short head.
RACE THREE – The use of the blinkers brought success to the connections of Special Counsel in this claiming race. The leading jockey was on board for his only winner on the day.
RACE FOUR – Division Two of the three-year-old maiden race turned out to be a romp for the Oneil Mullings ridden, and Philip Feanny trained filly Lacrimae. Lacrimae clocked 1:08.3 for 5 ½ furlongs, which was three-fifths of a second slower when compared with the time done by Princess Alani of 1:08.0, about an hour before.
RACE FIVE – This Optional Claimer ($250,000 - $200,000) race provided the platform for eight-year-old bay horse Chrisanli (Dane Nelson) to notch his eighth career victory from 47 starts. Trainer of Dennis Pryce has had a good first quarter in 2022, with Chrisanli his ninth winner during the period.
RACE SIX – This bottom of the barrel claiming contest run over the unusual distance of 3 ½ furlongs, saw victory accomplished by Chief of State with jockey Ruja Lahoe doing the riding honours. Unusual, also, is that after the race, Lahoe was strapped with a $5,000 fine by the stewards for not dismounting a lame horse. This is one official action to pay attention to.
RACE SEVEN – After racing at the back of the field for most of the 5 ½ furlongs distance of the seventh race, and, after entering the stretch at the back of the pack on the wide outside, Adoring Texas made quite a surge in the closing furlong to win by all of three lengths. Adoring Texas was winning a five-year-old maiden race and was the first winner on the race day for jockey Youville Pinnock.
RACE EIGHTH – This Overnight Allowance won by Curlin’s Affair will be the subject of a separate article.
RACE NINE – Drawn on the outside, post 10 of 10, in a five straight four-year-old upwards (non-two) provided the gateway for a resounding 5 ½ length victory for the Patrick Lynch trained Ring Charmer. Ring Charmer gave the in-form jockey Youville Pinnock his second winner. This race was Division One of the Grooms’ Association Trophy.
RACE TEN – In Division Two of the Grooms’ Association Trophy, the opposite happened - a late rush by the Richard Azan trained Cruella coming from the number one post-position, the dreaded draw coming down the straight course brought victory. Cruella gave jockey Youvile Pinnock his triple, the first of his relatively young riding career.
RACE ELEVEN – Pinnock then went one better in the day’s nightcap to seal his four-timer aboard the Rowan Mathie trained Buff Bay in a rough and tumble stretch drive involving Zion (Oneil Mullings). Of note, champion jockey drawn at one on Bigmanbiden fell from his mount when the gates opened.
ADDITIONAL RACE DAY NOTES: There were eleven races on the race day being assessed by THE QUICK GALLOPER. The highest winning odds on the day was astonishingly 5-2, the odds that both Sheer Beauty and Cruella started at. Not surprisingly, six of the eleven winners started as odds-on favourites; Lacrimae (2-5), Chrisanli (2-5), Chief of State, Adoring Texas (1-5), Curlin’s Affair (3-5), and Buff Bay (3-5).
