Bigbrowngreyhope wins URTA Trophy
The American-bred Bigbrowngreyhope came with a late run in the final furlong to win the United Racehorse Trainers’ Association (URTA) Trophy in fine style at Caymanas Park yesterday.
With the in-form jockey Robert Halledeen asked to do riding honours by trainer Rowan Mattis and owner DSTL and Associates, Bigbrowngreyhope (Big Brown – Hopes And Fears by Mt Livermore) was held in mid-pack for most of the way behind Mandeya (Jemar Jackson up), Sparkling Michaela (Dick Cardenas astride) and Locked And Loaded (O’Brien White aboard) before he was sent in chase of the leaders approaching the home bend.
Turning for home just on the outside of Sparkling Michaela and Locked And Loaded, who by then had taken over the lead and looked the likely winner a furlong out, Halledeen produced his mount with a superb 100-metre run for the four-year-old grey colt to get up in the nick of time to beat Locked And Loaded by one-half length in the 1,820-metre event.
Sparkling Michaela was third and Star New Vista, under champion jockey Dane Nelson, completed the frame in a decent time of 1:58:2 minutes.
Bigbrowngreyhope was the second winner for both Mathie and DSTL and Associates, with the other being in the first race with Diferentgeneration, the mount of Jevvanne Erwin, who also had two winners — Wright Away in the seventh race for trainer Anthony Nunes, being the other.
Also riding two winners was champion jockey Dane Nelson, who extended his lead over Dick Cardenas in the race for the 2014 jockeys’ championship. Nelson’s winners were Danos La Paz and Saint Mary. Nelson now leads with 96 winners — six winners ahead of Cardenas on 90.
Meanwhile, in tear-away fashion, the Patrick Lynch-trained Tooting Kat outran his 10 rivals to win the co-feature, the Frank Parham Memorial Trophy going over 1,000 metres straight.
Owned by Juneil Racing Stables, Tooting Kat (Burning Marque – Tooting Again), who skipped a class to compete at this level, was a comfortable three-and-a-quarter lengths in front of Western Bull (Andre Martin up) and Lady Abhijita (Dane Nelson in the saddle). The winning time was a fast 0:57:4 seconds.
The highest quality race on the 10-race programme was won Campesino. Trained by Philip Feanny, owned by Hamark Farms and ridden by Percy Williams, Campesino made all to win the eighth race, an Overnight Allowance event for three-year-olds and upward non-winners of an Overnight Allowance event lifetime over 1,400 metres.
Scoop Jordyne was second and Jah Love third in a time of 1:26:0 minutes.
Racing continues on Saturday with the running of the War Zone Sprint Trophy and the Gladiator Trophy.