ROY ROGERS CONTINUES HIS PROGRESS
ROY ROGERS, owned by Faye Lee and trained by her husband Dennis, showed his preference for sloppy underfoot conditions after he outstayed rivals to win the $1-million Kenneth Mattis Memorial Trophy feature over the circular course of nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m) on Saturday, November 7, at Caymanas Park.
With apprentice Raddesh Roman in the irons, the four-year-old grey gelding by Distorted - Soca Party won the Non-restricted Overnight Allowance event by 8 ½ lengths at odds of 6-1. He completed the distance in a steady 1:54.2 backed by splits 25.2 x 49.0 x 1:13.1 x 1:39.3.
Lee said that despite the odds, he knew that his charge Roy Rogers would make a bold bid in taking the feature event, especially given the prevailing state of the track.
“I know my horse is improving all the time and I don’t force him like other people do with their horses. Roy Rogers is taking his time coming on and he will reach his peak very soon.
“The only horse today [Saturday] that could beat me here was Eroy and he, based on his performance, does not like the mud. Roy Rogers’ effort was good, and I am very satisfied with his development,” Lee said.
Jamai Raja (Youville Pinnock) and Roy Rogers disputed the early lead going around the clubhouse turn. The two opened up on the field entering the main track ahead of Superluminal (Dane Nelson) and Eroy, the mount of Omar Walker.
The order remained the same down the backstretch until Roy Rogers took full control of the race heading into the half-mile (800m) turn. From then Roger Rogers never gave up his gallop and he turned on the pressure in deep stretch to win comfortably.
Coco Chanel, ridden by Dane Dawkins, came from far behind to get second money with Big Bang (Oshane Nugent), also coming from far off, finished third.