Anthony “Baba” Nunes beamed with pride as he celebrated Crown Chaser’s thrilling victory in the 104th running of the Jamaica Derby on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

Crown Chaser’s late burst of energy on the inside rails in deep stretch was enough to edge out Run Julie Run (Reyan Lewis) by a mere half-length. Captain Sparrow (Edgard Zayas),
Crown Chaser’s stablemate, was hot on their heels, just a neck behind, while the 4-5 favourite Intrestntimesahead (Tevin Foster) completed the frame in the Futurity contest for native-bred three-year-olds over 12 furlongs (2,400m).

Crown Chaser, owned by Chevan Maharaj and ridden by Shane Ellis, crossed the line in a winning time of 2:38.0 (23.3 x 48.4 x 1:17.1 x 1:42.2), propelling himself as the top native-bred three-year-old at present.

But for Nunes, this Derby win was a much-needed boost to his training career, which had been plagued by health issues over the past year and a half.

The gruelling journey had taken a toll on Nunes, but he never lost sight of his passion for racing. And now, as he basked in the glory of Crown Chaser’s success, he felt a sense of redemption and renewed purpose.

“I’ve been through a lot, health-wise, in the past year and a half,” Nunes reflected. “But this victory makes you appreciate these wins even more. I’m blessed to be here, and this [Derby win] was just the cherry on top.”

Nunes secured his sixth Jamaica Derby win, adding to his previous victories with Terremoto (1998), Technomoto (2011), Relampago (2014), Orpheus (2016), and Supreme Soul (2019), all ridden by Ellis.

“When you win a Jamaica Derby, it is always satisfying. I wouldn’t say I had it in the bag, as winning any race, especially a Derby, is hard. You need the right horses and a great rider, and I thought we had both,” Nunes told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“We had two horses — Crown Chaser and Captain Sparrow — that are both distance horses, and I had the best local rider in Shane Ellis, who’s won four of my six Derby titles. I’m biased, of course, and we brought in Edgard Zayas, the leading rider at Gulfstream, on board, and so I had no excuses.

“It was up to me, the groom, and the team to get both horses to the starting line healthy, happy, and ready. I’m grateful to be here and savouring this moment,” Nunes added.