Three-time trainer Anthony “Baba’ Nunes is cautiously optimistic about the chances of his two charges, Barnaby and Tiz Tok, in the ultra-rich Mouttet Mile.

The Graded Stakes contest for three-year-olds and upward carries a purse of US$250,000, making the event the richest single race in the English-speaking Caribbean. The race is to be run over one mile (1,600m).

Barnaby, a three-year-old American-bred bay colt bred by Trapiture – Giants Diva, made a stunning local debut on November 17, annihilating Overnight Allowance company by 17 lengths over 7 ½ furlongs in 1:31.0.

While Tiz Tok, a four-year-old American-bred bay colt by Tiznow – Weekend Prospect, didn’t get a prep run going into the Mouttet Mile. Tiz Tok boasts four wins from 18 starts, including a victory on June 23 at Los Alamitos Race Course over one mile in 1:37.0.

With the prestigious event taking place tomorrow, Nunes expressed his satisfaction with the preparation of both horses.

“So far, so good,” Nunes said. “They have trained really well. Barnaby came out of his last race in good shape, and I have no complaints. They haven’t missed a beat the entire time, and we hope everybody stays healthy and sound.”

Nunes acknowledged the differing preparation schedules for his two horses.

“Barnaby arrived in August and had enough time to recuperate from quarantine and get acclimated to the local conditions. We were able to give him a beautiful programme, which included a prep race.

“Tiz Tok, on the other hand, came in later. He wasn’t event claimed until September and so he arrived in October. We could have run him in the Jamaica Cup, but after discussing it with the owners, we decided to skip that and focus on the Mouttet Mile,” Nunes told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

Nunes praised the temperament and talent of both horses.

“They are easy horses to train, and they love what they do. They seem to be very talented, but we know it won’t be an easy task. Obviously, when you have a horse like
Legacy Isle there that makes it tough because he is a stakes horse, Desert of Malibu who is working, and Funcaandun, it is a really good race on paper. So whoever is best on the day,” Nunes said.

When asked about his expectations, Nunes adopted a pragmatic approach.

“I expect them [Tiz Tok and Barnaby] to run well,” Nunes said.

“When you have the unknown, meaning Legacy Isle, Commandant, and Tiz Tok, we really don’t know. They trained well and they look like nice horses but we’ll just have to wait and see how they perform on the day.”

With the stage set for a thrilling Mouttet Mile, Nunes is eager to see his horses in action. “I’m going to find out just like everyone else,” he said with a smile.

— Ruddy Allen