Antarctica took advantage of the late scratching of favourite Power From Above before the start of the $1.1-million Louis Hitchins Memorial Cup feature race at Caymanas Park on Sunday to easily lead home competitors in the nine-furlong (1,800m) event.

Trained by Errol Waugh and ridden by Javaniel Patterson, Antarctica was ahead most of the way in a dominant 2 ½-length win in the Restricted Allowance II contest for native-bred three-year-olds (non-winners of two) and imported three-year-olds and upward (maidens).

Power From Above, who had opened up as the 1-9 favourite, lost a shoe at the starting gates and was added to the scratched list, which already had Secret Admiral and Lady Paula. Their absence reduced the field to only five runners.

Antarctica broke off well at the start of the race as the three-year-old bay colt settled in second place behind the speedy Superio (Matthew Bennett). Patterson wasted no time sending Antarctica to the front, leaving the intersection at the seven-furlong pole (1,400m), and he never looked back.

Antarctica maintained a steady gallop down the back stretch before he upped the tempo while navigating the half-mile (800m) turn. Although he was shortened a bit inside the final stage of the races, the Savoy Stomp – Jessie’s Favorite offspring won comfortably at the wire.

Life Is Life (Shavon Townsend) finished in second place, with Powerofherhigness (Raddesh Roman) getting third. The final time for the race was 1:54.2 (24.2 x 48.1 x 1:12.3 x 1:38.2).

Meanwhile, trainer Fitzgerald Richards and jockeys Tevin Foster and Bebeto Harvey won two races each on the 10-race card.

Richards and Foster teamed up for both of their winners. The duo won with Waterman John in the fourth race and A Gift From Ben in the 10th and final event. Both Waterman John and A Gift From Ben are bred by Desmond Lewis and owned by DSTL & Associates.

Harvey’s winners were Kwkau in the opening event for trainer Owen Sharpe and Pro Johnny in the second race for trainer Gary Crawford.

Racing continues on Saturday.