Foreigner El Rapido makes impressive debut
El Rapido, a three-year-old American-bred grey/roan colt, made a stunning debut on local soil, winning with ease at Caymanas Park on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
Trained by Nicholas Wehby and ridden by Aaron Chatrie, El Rapido crossed the finishing line in a race for native-bred three-year-olds (non-winners of two) and imported three-year-olds and upward maidens by two lengths. The Valiant Minister – Sunset Silhouette offspring completed the five-furlong straight course in an impressive 59.3 seconds, with fractions of 23.1 and 46.1.
El Rapido left his starting stall in good order but had to sit in the chasing pack behind early leader and odds-on favourite Motivate Me Baby (Robert Halledeen).
Goodbye Firefly (Reyan Lewis), Hit N Run (Abigail Able), and Midnight Flight (Phillip Parchment) also got promising starts.
El Rapido continued to race prominently throughout the event until crossing the dummy rails when he challenged Motivate Me Baby for the lead.
With momentum going his way, El Rapido sprinted off to win ahead of Motivate Me Baby and Midnight Flight.
This victory marks a promising start to El Rapido’s career in Jamaica, showcasing his speed and potential.