Nunes claims three-timer, Sepremasi dominant
ANTHONY NUNES posted a three-timer yesterday, twice denying leading and champion trainer Jason DaCosta in a heated stakes battle predicted to be hinged on December’s Mouttet Mile Day.
Starting the afternoon $9.8 million behind DaCosta, who won the Jamaica St Leger and Derby with I DREAM AGAIN, Nunes closed his three-timer with SUPREMASI in the O & S Tack Room Trophy, giving credence to railbird talk that he plans to scrap it out with his rival before delivering a knockout punch with a United States invader in the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile set for Saturday, December 6.
DaCosta wrapped the 10-race card with COMEHOMETOME, who hung on desperately with Robert Halledeen to win the six-furlong event by a nose from fast-finnishing 10-1 shot, ABREATHOFFRESHAIR, earning chips to remind Nunes it will be a dogfight to the end.
Nunes, however, gained satisfaction from DaCosta’s top rider, Halledeen, being finally shackled by the whip rule – out to start a five-day suspension this Saturday – after blatantly flouting earlier warnings and fines to win the August 6 Jamaica Derby by striking I DREAM AGAIN 18 times in the stretch run.
STRUGGLE
Halledeen struggled to stay within the whip-rule limits, first losing the fifth race aboard DaCosta’s BRENDA BOY to Nunes’ KING PYE, who motored from last with Anthony Allen at odds of 5-1 to win the nine-furlong and 25-yard event by a head.
Later in the afternoon, it was Dick Cardenas’ time to avenge his Jamaica Derby loss aboard BURNING HEDGE to I DREAM AGAIN, tracking Halledeen astride DaCosta’s MISS MONEYPENNY out the straight course with Nunes’ ANOTHER ONE, overhauling his rival close home to win by a neck.
SUPREMASI, a disqualified winner on last with Raddesh Roman, who instead opted to ride United States-bred FLORINDIA, turned the O & S Tack Room Trophy into an exercise gallop with mature claiming rider Romario Spencer aboard.
Spencer broke SUPREMASI smartly to chase FLORINDIA off the lead down the backstretch before quickening away in the stretch run to win the one-mile event in 1:40.0, three lengths clear of late-closing MAIN MISTRESS.
Three were 11 winning tickets spotting the Reggae 6 mandatory payout of $1.99 million each. Racing continues at the weekend, Saturday-Sunday, heralding the start of September’s meets.