Afternoon stroll for The Prince’s Spur

PROVING that he was used up too early, chasing PACK PLAYS’ splits of 23.0 and 45.4 before motoring into 1:10.4 for six furlongs, caught by RIDEALLDAY in the September 5 Gold Cup, United States-bred THE PRINCE’S SPUR yesterday made a mockery of overnight-allowance runners in the Typewriter Trophy.

Rohan Crichton’s THE PRINCE’S SPUR made all on an afternoon stroll under Raddesh Roman at odds of 1-5, clocking a ridiculously easy 1:30.1, getting within 1.1 seconds of PHENOMENAL POWER’s track record 1:29.0, set July 4, a performance which erased Sky Train’s 43-year mark of 1:29.2

Faced with Mouttet Mile-qualifying options whittling down ahead of the US$300,000 event set for December 5, THE PRINCE’S SPUR made the most of the overnight-allowance gift, running two classes lower.

THE PRINCE’S SPUR, who won at Gulfstream Park, Florida, beating US$12,5000 claimers in January, franked his debut run, which he lost by three-quarter length to RIDEALLDAY’s Gold Cup mark of 1:23.2, three-fifths off Eros 1991 track-record 1:22.4.

The seven-year-old American, an experienced traveller with a 4-3-4 United States record under his girth, THE PRINCE’S SPUR was sired by Cairo Prince out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Flying Spur. He has raced at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland and Saratoga, with wins at Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park and Saratoga.

Since winning the 2023 Mouttet Mile with Rough Entry, Crichton and his owners, primarily Dennis Smith, have twice had to settle for the runner-up spot, LEGACY ISLE beaten by FUNCAANDUN in 2024 and RIDEALLDAY last year.

THE PRINCE’S SPUR won under a hand ride from Irad Ortiz Jr at Gulfstream in January, clocking 1:38.2 for a mile. His previous race was also a win, 1:42.4, at eight and a half furlongs at Churchill Downs in September of 2024.

Meanwhile, THE PRINCES’s SPUR was the only winning favourite on the nine-race card rocked by 18-1 Reggae 6 stunner, FAMILY FEUD, who popped up in the fourth race in which Gary Subratie’s 1-2 favourite, MARGARITA, was proposed as the lone banker on a second consecutive tough Sunday meet.

FAMILY FEUD, trained by Subratie’s protege, Winston Morris, disputed the lead with MARGARITA and LAST POSSESSION before pulling away under Emelio McLean, rocking the Reggae 6, which returned $2.6m to two winning combinations.

Similar to the previous Sunday meet when multiple upsetters pushed a Reggae 6 carryover to last Saturday, favourites were sent crashing from the opening event through the sixth won by 3-1 chance WRAPPER GIRL, stablemate of even-money favourite LITTLE TRUTHFUL.

Yesterday’s meet wrapped up September’s racing, the new month starting with two consecutive Saturdays before a Heroes Weekend triple treat Saturday-Sunday-Monday, October 17-19.