Bruceontheloose stretches unbeaten run at Santa Rosa Park
ARIMA, Trinidad (CMC) — Jamaica-bred super three-year-old colt Bruceontheloose predictably notched up his fifth consecutive win at Santa Rosa Park on Saturday to virtually secure his claims as Trinidad and Tobago’s 2009 Horse of the Year.
The T&T Derby-winning Bruceontheloose impressively shouldered top weight in the Stakes & Lower event and delivered one of a remarkable five wins on the card for top trainer John O’Brien.
In equalling his best single day returns as a trainer, O’Brien kicked off his successful afternoon when Cash It Back landed the opener before Jamaica-bred Marathon Man made it two wins from two races.
O’Brien was again in winners’ row when Grand Riviere upset the favourite Royal Baby to win the St Ann’s Stakes.
However, his most popular victory came in the eighth event when Bruceontheloose, labelled the “Equine Usain Bolt”, flogged his rivals in spite of carrying a weighty 56.5 kilogrammes.
A double Classic winner in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, Bruceontheloose made light work of his weight allotment and cruised to an effortless four-length victory under the apprentice Brian Boodramsing.
Bruceontheloose clocked one minute, 50.80 seconds to land the 1750-metre event worth TT$70,000 (US$10,937).
The winning margin could have been easily doubled had Boodramsing so desired.
The Tres Amigos owned roan colt, who won the T&T Derby in September by a smashing 15 lengths, will now tackle the Gold Cup on Boxing Day, a race in which he will meet outstanding Stewards Cup winner Blackstone Street.
A spectacular performance was delivered by the Douglas Bennett trained Jamaica-bred colt Treasure Hunt in the co-feature TT$150,000 (US$23,437) St James Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings over 1,350 metres.
With Venezuelan Heribert Martinez astride, Treasure Hunt shot to the front approaching the final turn and accelerated to register the widest margin of victory in the race’s history –13 1/4 lengths.
Bred by — Tracking out of Topaz — Phillip Azar, Treasure Hunt recorded a time of one minute 21.80 seconds, which was nearly a second and a half faster than the time recorded by Grand Riviere earlier in the day when winning the TT$150,000 (US$23,437) St Ann’s Stakes for fillies.
The blinkers worked for the O’Brien trained second favourite Grand Riviere and the filly wore down the favourite Royal Baby before surging clear in the final 100 metres to gain a well deserved two-length victory.
The previously unbeaten Jamaica-bred Royal Baby stayed on for second with Inconclusive third and Defining Moment fourth.
Grand Riviere recorded the time of 1:23.20 for the 1,350-metre trip.
Riding honours for the day were shared between Nela Mohammed, Nicholas Patrick and Brian Boodramsing, who all rode two winners apiece.
