A.T. AT HIS BEST
...jockey Anthony Thomas (A.T.) guides Eroy to victory in Overnight Allowance call
CO-CHAMPION jockey Anthony Thomas was at his pristine best when guiding the Richard Azan-trained Eroy to victory in yesterday’s eighth race, which was an Overnight Allowance call at nine furlongs and 25 yards. This was the highest-rated event on the card. Eroy was one of two winners for Thomas on the day. His other winner was Fearless Champion in the nightcap.
Eroy, the Richard Azan-conditioned four-year-old American-bred bay colt, turned in a superlative performance to win the $1-million top-rated Overnight Allowance event on the nine-race programme at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Ridden by two-time champion jockey Anthony Thomas (A. T.), Eroy, (Khozan – Golden Bucket), got off in front when the gates opened and carried the field around the clubhouse turn and onto the backstretch in the threeyear-old and upwards contest over nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m).
Eroy led ahead of Dejae’s Boy (Oneil Mullings) and Legality (Dane Nelson) down the backstretch beforeharry’s Train (Reyan Lewis)and Legality pushed through approaching the five-furlong (1,000m) point. And, at this stage, the maturity of Thomas in saddle came to the fore as he waited instead of trying to go with Harry’s Train and Legality.
The far-striding Eroy then picked up pace navigating the half-mile turn and surged to the front and began to open up on rivals coming into the lane. With a couple of cracks from the whip from Thomas to remind Eroy that the race was not yet over, the bay colt accelerated and powered home to score by two lengths. Legality finished in second place and Big Big Daddy (Dane Dawkins) came on for the third slot way behind the first two.
After splits of 26.3 x 51.1 x 1:15.4 x 1:41.3, the final time was recorded at 1:56.3.
It was the second winner on the day for Thomas as one race later he guided the Jason Dacosta-trained Fearless Champion, who made one move to win the ninth and final event, a Restricted Allowance 1V race over seven and a half furlongs (1,500m). Fearless Champion won by 4 ¼ lengths in a time of 1:33.4.
Meanwhile, Labycka, trained by Steven Todd and ridden by Shane Ellis, made light work of rivals to win the Emma Chen Memorial Trophy feature event over seven furlongs.
The three-year-old bay filly Labycka (Northern Giant – Marine Drive) made all the running to win the maiden condition race for native-bred three-year-old fillies by 9 ½ lengths in a time of 1:27.2. Buff Bay (Javaniel Patterson) was second and Hilly’s Vision (Dane Dawkins) third.
Racing continues on Saturday.