Awesome Anthony (Soul Warrior – Antoinette) laid a substantial claim for the upcoming two-year-old Triple Crown series of races with an impressive maiden win at Caymanas Park on Saturday, September 24, 2022. The two-year-old series includes the Cash Pot, the Pick-3, and the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.

Awesome Anthony, running only for the second time, led from start to finish in a dominating 12-length success among native-bred maidens going five furlongs (1,000m) round.

Ridden by Oshane Nugent, Awesome Anthony jumped to the front and took the lead ahead of Crucial Alexxya (Tevin Foster) and She’s A Mirage (Abigail Able) going into the half-mile (800m) turn. Awesome Anthony then began to open up on rivals while navigating the turn, and by the time the field turned for home, the chestnut colt was long gone.

Whizz Kidd (Jerome Innis) finished second and Life Is Life (Anthony Thomas) finished third. The final time for the race was 1:00.1.

Owner Von White, who also owned second-place finisher Whizz Kidd, was overjoyed with the outcome of the race as he planned for a bright future for his charges.

“I am feeling great. I am elated because it is the first time in my career that I have finished first and second in the same race. I have owned horses for over 30 years and I have never had this experience.

“Two horses with two different trainers; it wasn’t planned; it was just what it was. They are two well-bred horses so I expect good things from them. I didn’t even know which one of them would win,” White told the Supreme Racing Guide.

“Well, today was the last day of the bird shooting season and if it wasn’t for the storm I would be shooting birds this weekend and so this [coming to the track] was the next thing to do. I leave everything [future races] to the trainers. You have the two-year-old series coming up in October, November, and December, so I hope I will be there.” White added.

Trainer Patrick Taylor was also pleased with the run by Awesome Anthony.

“God is good and so I have to give him thanks for everything. One thing I must give thanks for is that awesome performance from Awesome Anthony today. I told the jockey that this horse is a two-year-old and so you can’t ride him like an established horse as you have to teach him how to run.

“I told him (Nugent), to get a good break, bring him into the lane and let him run, teach him how to run, and he did what he had to do,” Taylor said.

— Ruddy Allen