It’s Unbreakable again
THE PICK-9 had no takers at Caymanas Park on Wednesday and the carry-over to tomorrow’s meet stands at $1.3 million.
This should ensure a Pick-9 payout in excess of $2 million. Meanwhile, both Super-6s start anew with guaranteed minimums of $750,000.
The Pick-9 on the annual Jamaica Jockeys’ Guild 10-race programme embraces races two to 10, the first Super-6 from race one to six, the late Super-6 from five to 10.
We look at the first Super-6, which commences with a $450,000 – $400,000 claiming race over 1500 metres, to be contested by seven fit horses. Significantly, the field includes four horses who were winners last time out – UNBREAKABLE, MEET JUSTIN, NO MONEY FRIEND and the Joseph Thomas-trained PARTY CUP, who bids for his fourth consecutive win over what is an ideal trip for him.
Although thrown in for a tag for the first time, the five-year-old gelding by Image Maker – Smarty Marty – has won his three races with a lot in hand, beating subsequent winner FIERY PATH quite easily in the fairly good time of 1:27.3 over 1400 metres some weeks ago. He will only go down fighting with the claiming apprentice Javaneil Patterson again in the saddle.
MOST ACCOMPLISHED
On past performances, however, UNBREAKABLE, with champion jockey Omar Walker aboard, and ZACKONTHEATTACK, the mount of back-to-form champion apprentice Bebeto Harvey, are the two most accomplished in the field. On current form, UNBREAKABLE, who won as many as eight races in 2016 and scored handily enough over a mile last time out on February 24, looks best equipped to win again for his new trainer, Roy Lambada Matthews.
The second race over 1200 metres for four-year-olds and up (non-winners of three) has an open look about it as several of the 11 starters have been enjoying good recent form. They include RALLY BABY, who was a close second to VISION over the straight last Saturday, PRINCESS EMANUELLE, who just failed to catch LITTLE BIG HORN over the straight recently when ridden by female apprentice Natalie Berger, as well as proven campaigner ZEPHYR Apprentice Bebeto Harvey in the winners’ enclosure after his win aboard FRANFIELD in the Bonnie Blue Flag feature at Caymanas Park last Saturday. Harvey rode three winners on the card.
and MISTER BONES, not to mention the sparingly raced SORRENTINO’S STAR, who has the capacity to win it for 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny.
Definitely the type of race to use two or more horses, but for me, the Gordon Lewis-trained run on sprinter MISTER BONES (Chalrick Budhai up) gets a glorious opportunity to score an overdue win having failed by a head to stave off CLASSY AVIATOR over this trip on January 7. A reproduction of that performance would be good enough to beat RALLY BABY and PRINCESS EMANUELLE.
MONEY MOVE, now dropping down two classes after finishing 33/4 lengths fifth to FIFTYONESTORM over the straight on March 18, should not be hard pressed to win the third race over 1100 metres for $180,000 claimers with top apprentice Linton Steadman aboard. The seven-year-old mare from the stables of in-form trainer Anthony ‘Baba’ Nunes notched her last win over this trip in December of last year. She subsequently chased home the out-of-class LIGHT BRIGADE
over the distance on February 18 and should rebound at the expense of CLEARLY OURS and recent winner TURBO CHARGE.
Briefly, the Wayne DaCosta-trained 3-y-o colt ALEXANDRE REW, who showed promise on his recent debut behind SILENCE, has looked razor sharp at exercise since and with Walker aboard, should win the fourth race over 1100 metres for maiden three-year-olds. The last two races in the first Super-6 looks tailored for the Feanny-trained first-time runner HAPPY LEE (working very well) with Ian Spence aboard. And in the sixth for exercise riders, BORDER LINE only needs to remember where he’s coming from to dispose of rivals over 800 metres straight.