Intrestntimesahead consolidates status as the top three-year-old
TRAINER Jason D acosta says that his champion two year-old of last season, Int res tn times ahead, will be very difficult to beat in next month’s Jamaica 2000 Guineas. Dacosta made his comment following the three-year-old bay colt’s triumph in the fourth staging of the $3-million The Kingston on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Bred by Bold Conquest out of My Friend Lucy, Int res tn times ahead
won the Graded Stakes for native-bred three-year-old colts and geldings by 4¼ lengths, handily defeating the competition.
The Kingston, the final major preparation race on the ‘Road to the Triple Crown’ was contested over seven-and-a-half furlongs. Intrestntimesahead stopped the ticking of the clock in a time of 1:33.1 (23.4 x 46.3 x 1:11.4).
“I didn’t expect that at all for Intrestntimesahead to be on the headlines but it worked out well. Tevin Foster is an excellent rider and I have faith in him. After today, giving weight all around, once he stays healthy and sound, he should be tough in the Guineas,” Dacosta said in his post-race interview.
Int res tn times ahead, with current leader Tevin Foster in the irons, surged away early in the race and battled Unruly Don
(Robert Halledeen) on the front end down the backstretch.
He maintained his pace effectively until approaching the half-mile (800m) when he began to pull away from Unruly Don
and company.
Int res tn times ahead then st rolled into the lane under a tight wrap and applied the pressure to run an easy winner, his fourth consecutive triumph in five lifetime appearances.
“The last time I rode him he was coming off a four-month break and he had a tardy start but he coupled up nicely and won quite easily in the end. In The Kingston he was fitter and I was expecting a very good run and he did deliver the goods.
“He was quite relaxed throughout the race, as I didn’t have anything to do. Based on the performance, he is the best native-bred three-year-old at present,” Foster said.