Mark My Word nabs Stakes again
MARK My Word won the 33rd staging of the $5,000,000 CTL Supertakes to score consecutive victories in the event at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Trained by Richard Azan, installed the 3-2 second favourite and ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker, the reigning Horse-Of-The-Year ran 2,000 metres in 1:40 to deny the hot 4-5 favourite, three-year-old colt and St Leger winner Commanding Chief, ridden by Paul Francis, by a length-and-a-half at the wire.
Cold Ground, another promising three-year-old colt who was runner-up in the Jamaica St Leger to Commanding Chief and who at one stage only had one behind, made rapid progress after turning for home to finish another 11 lengths back to show at odds of 32-1 under Wesley Henry.
Heart Of Gold, a six-year-old dark brown mare ridden by Shane Ellis and who also enjoys a distance of ground, completed the frame as a 99-1 bet in the distinguished field of 11.
A full house at Caymanas Park stood and roared after the starter sent them on their way and leading jockey Dick Cardenas sent the Jamaica Derby winner to the front.
He was tracked by dark bay five-year-old horse Classic Beau, ridden by fellow Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles, with Commanding Chief on the tail of these two, followed by Superstakes winner of two years ago, Hombre, ridden by Andre Martin.
As the race progressed, Walker held an easy-going Mark My Word in fifth. However, entering the final 800m of the event, the champion jockey began to urge the champion racehorse forward.
Both horse and jockey made a sharp move on the outside to be close to Commanding Chief after he had dismissed Technomoto.
From then on it developed into a match race between Commanding Chief and Mark My Word back to the tote board with Mark My Word holding out for a comfortable victory to cap a four-timer for the champion jockey who was winning the Superstakes for the first time.
Owned by Elite Bloodstock, Mark My Word, a four-year-old chestnut colt by Market Rally out of Miss Chestnut (Horse Chestnut bred at Ham Stables Ltd) was winning for the 11th time from 18 career starts and earned $2,700,000 as the winner’s share for a bankroll of $18,590,200 lifetime.
Elsewhere on the programme, Walker also rode the 5-2 chance, Potcheen, to victory over the 7-1 bet All Correct in the fifth running of the $1,000,000 Rum Fire Two-Year-old Juvenile Stakes fifth race on the programme.
Owned by Curragh Jamaica Goat Agency and trained by Ian Parsard, Potcheen, a bay colt by Traditional, ran 1300m in a smart time of 1:20.4 to score back-to-back wins from his four career starts.
