Seven of the top local bred juveniles will hold centre stage at Caymanas Park Friday when they run for glory in the rich $2,250,000 Jamaica Lottery Company 2-y-o Stakes over 1600 metres.

It is the final 2-y-o Stakes race of the season before next year's 3-y-o career launch and the most distinguished among the field is the very smart Hamark Farms-owned Distinctly Irish, trained by many-time champion conditioner, Philip Feanny.

A bay gelding by Irish Quest out of Distinctly Native by The Peacemaker, he will be partnered by the English-speaking Caribbean's all-time leading rider, Winston Griffiths, for his third career start, and could face his sternest test to date.
Purchased from the Select Yearling Sales last year for the sum of $810,000, Distinctly Irish is unbeaten after two outings.

He opened his career with a 5 1/2 lengths win over 1100 metres in November in 1:06.4 and returned a month later to notch his second victory by six lengths going 300 metres farther. He ran 1400 metres in 1:26.3

Despite facing more accomplished opposition on this occasion and travelling 200 metres farther, the progressive gelding, from a long line of distinguish performers, has shown enough class and advance ability to be unsaddled in the winners enclosure.

His sternest test could come from the rapidly improving Battleox, owned and trained by Richard Azan with Charles Hussey astride; Draw Card trained by Randolph Scott and ridden by Clive Lynch, and last but not least Latonia.

Owned by Elias Haloute and trained by Anthony Nunes, Latonia ran well to be six lengths second to Distinctly Irish in the Jamaica Turf Club 2-y-o Stakes over 1400 metres and now going 200 metres farther could be closer at the finish.

While not given much chance to land the event another entry worth mentioning is Irish Cream, the other Azan entry with enterprising young apprentice, Oneil Mullings up.
A bay gelding by Irish Quest out of imported mare, Susan's Smile by Smile, Irish Cream is the only entrant in the line up to have gone beyond 1400 metres. After weakening over 1400 in his fifth career start he returned to open his account next time of asking going 100 metres farther.

Irish Cream was never headed and won by five widening lengths from Draw Card in a time of 1:34.2 for 1500 metres.

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