PANAMANIAN jockey Dick Cardenas doesn’t want to jump the gun but the former champion reinsman said that following Durocell‘s commanding run on Saturday, October 22, 2022, the chestnut filly could develop into a worthy runner in the near future.

Racing only for the second time, the Patrick Fong-conditioned Durocell led from the first jump in a dominating win during a native-bred two-year-old maiden special weight contest at 6 furlongs (1,200m). Bred by Soul Warrior out of the Gone Astray mare Savanna’s Smile, Durocell won the event by 10 lengths in a reasonable time of 1:15.3 with splits of 23.1 x 48.3.

“She [Durocell] is a nice horse. I worked this horse before she raced for the first time and I told the trainer that I love this horse. Then, I also told trainer Fong that I would like to ride her but he said that he had already booked an apprentice to ride her.

“For the second run the trainer said it would be mine, and I was grateful,” Cardenas said.

“I knew the horse well because I had worked her plenty of times and I knew that she is a nice horse. She has a nice pace and I believe that she is going to be one of the top stakes horses further down the road because she has a lot of potential.

“She will be heading towards the Two-Year-Old Triple Crown races because she has the talent. She has shown improvement, plus there’s more room for more as well. She is a nice horse that will do well,” Cardenas expressed.

Whizz Kidd, the mount of Robert Halledeen, broke well and gunned for the lead but had no answers in deep stretch to the call from the winner and thus had to settle for second place once again. Modern Miracle (Tevin Foster), who was outpaced early on in the race, ran on well in the closing stages to earn third place, some 3½ lengths behind Whizz Kidd.

Cardenas said that from day one he knew that Durocell had the potential to do well. He added: I knew it wouldn’t take long for her to release the maiden tag”.