This afternoon two of racing’s fiercest rivals, Calculus and Oneofakind , will square off for round number three in their bout this season in what is anticipated to be a another classic showdown in this year’s running of the $1.5-million Chairman’s Trophy at Caymanas Park.

The score stands at two-nil in favour of Calculus, a four-year-old bay colt bred by Sensational Slam out of the Bernardini mare Trinket Box, winner of last season’s Jamaica St Leger and Derby winner.

The race is an Open Allowance/Graded Stakes contest for three-year-old and upwards going over 7 ½ furlongs (1,500m) with a total purse of $1.5 million. The Chairman’s Trophy feature contest is the eighth event on the 10-race card with a post time of 4:15 pm. First race is at high noon.

Calculus is unbeaten in two starts this season. The Gary Subratie trainee won the Alexander Hamilton Trophy by a head on January 29 over one mile (1,600m) and then the Miracle Man Cup over 9 ½ furlongs (1,900m) by a length on February 26. On both occasions, Calculus got the better of Oneofakind in driving finishes. Calculus should not find this trip short, having won the Gold Cup over seven furlongs (1,400m) last year, beating Horse of the Year Further and Beyond by 2 ¾ lengths.

Despite being pitted with top weight of 57.0kgs (126 lb), Calculus, who will be ridden by jockey Shane Ellis for the fifth-consecutive time, could make it three wins in a row, but he will have to be at his sharpest.

Oneofakind faces Calculus with a two-pound advantage but the main difference between the two is the presence of Dane Nelson atop Oneofakind.

In truth, the ability of the jockey is always a huge factor. A rider with a combination of skill, intelligence, experience, and physical strength can often change the result of a race at any given time, and Nelson is such an individual.

A tough, experienced jockey can lead his horse on the shortest trip around the track and help him steal a win over the fastest horse. An intelligent jockey can assess the field, judge the pace, hold his charge together until the last moment, and steal the victory at the end. This being the case, the connections, including trainer Anthony Nunes, will be hoping that Oneofakind will prevail when Nelson climbs aboard.

Nelson has had multiple successes on Oneofakind and is sure to provide the assistance required in their attempt to topple Calculus. It isn’t just the technicalities in the saddle that set the bustling rider apart, but an unparalleled ability to win races.

The race is pretty much limited to these two runners as the other four starters ( Awesome Treasure, Sparkle Diamond, Duke and Secret Identity) in the line-up don’t have the class and the talent to take down either Calculus or Oneofakind for top honours.

Awesome Treasure had finished a distant 11 ¾ lengths behind stablemate Calculus and Oneofakind in the recent Miracle Man Cup. The five-year-old American-bred bay mare led in that race before giving up at the half-mile and should now be suited by this shorter trip, However, Awesome Treasure again looks well held by the top two and others.

Sparkle Diamond, also trained by Nunes, was a late scratch from the Miracle Man Cup on February 26. Sparkle Diamond should go well over this distance and could make a brave but not a winning bid.

Subratie’s Duke is a very good run-on sprinter, but the grey horse showed nothing in the SVREL Anniversary Trophy when finishing fourth behind Patriarch and God of Love over 5 ½ furlongs on March 5. Duke should be better prepared coming into this but the distance and the presence of Calculus and Oneofakind do not augur well for his chance of coming out on top plus he has not been himself of late.

Racing in this league for the second occasion, the Tensang Chung-conditioned Secret Identity can be with the early pacesetters before petering out. This filly has not raced this long in a while and will continue to learn at this level.

Ones to watch:

Race 1) The Citadel/Our Angel/Rainsville

Race 2) Superluminal/Action Run/Uncle Vinnie

Race 3) Better Best/Dodge This Link/Toughness

Race 4) Tomohawk/Zabratone/D’s Choice

Race 5) Bugatti/Emperorofthecats/Thalos

Race 6) Jahsendblessings/Baton Rouge/Morse Code

Race 7) Bern Notice/Santorini/Daddy’s Jones

Race 8) Oneofakind/Calculus/Duke

Race 9) Diligent/Buckaluck/Miss Linda Wray

Race 10) Milkman/City Counsel/Storm Valley