Take Chace The Great in Race Three
THE UNITED States-bred filly PORT ST LUCIE has been burning up the exercise track for the past month and appears set to make a winning local debut in Race One of the Sunrise-6 at Caymanas Park tomorrow.
Trained by Lance Richards, PORT ST LUCIE has been keeping company with Anthony Nunes’ top-rated pair of HOUDINI’S MAGIC and BIGDADDYKOOL at exercise. After galloping 1,000 metres in 1:00.4 on March 31, the American filly clocked 1:13.3 behind BIGDADDYKOOL’s 1:13.0 for 1200 metres on Sunday.
POISED FOR EASY WIN
She faces two moderate fellow Americans in HARRY’S TRAIN and HILLY’S HALO in the seven-horse field but appears to have a lot of class and is poised to give jockey Shane Ellis an easy win in the 1,200m event.
GREAT MANIPULATOR ran really well when placing second to Royal Girl among $180,000 claimers on April 7 and will be hard to beat in Race Two. The Donovan Plummer-trained colt chased the favourite all the way and had enough at the end to hold off Copperfield on the line in the 1,000-metre race. They go 1,100 metres tomorrow, and the milder pace should suit a fouryear-old who should still be improving. Linton Steadman has the ride.
Race Three, the Lady Geeta Trophy over 1,200 metres, is the first of two graded stakes events on the card. The other is the tenth for the Legal Light Trophy. Old rivals MONEY MAGNET and CHACE THE GREAT meet again, and they should definitely decide the outcome. The latter won the Caribbean Sprint over 1,200 metres on Superstakes day last year, but the former turned the tables on February 17 this year. MONEY MAGNET has shown vast improvement in 2018 and has won twice in three starts, while CHACE THE GREAT placed second in his only start.
It was close between them on February 17, and the two pounds MONEY MAGNET picked up for that victory could swing the handicaps in CHACE THE GREAT’S favour. He is a real specialist over the distance and will be running on strongest of all in the final 100 metres.
PIZARRO comes down a level after finishing just six lengths behind A.P.I., going 1,000 metres straight on April 14, and is my selection to get the better of LIKE A LADY in Race Four. The latter was all of 12 lengths behind A.P.I. over the same distance on March 10, and although winning well at tomorrow’s $450,000 claiming level on March 31, should not beat PIZARRO, who took on a strong field last week and returns down in class with the same weight.
ARMAGEDDON (Omar Walker up) is the selection for Race Five, while the outside draw will give SON OF TAQARUB (Natalie Berger) a distinct advantage in Race 6.
SUNRISE- SELECTIONS
1. PORT ST LUCIE
2. GREAT MANIPULATOR
3. CHACE THE GREAT
4. PIZARRO
5. ARMAGEDDON
6. SON OF TAQARUB