Former champion trainer Glenn Mendez has signalled his intention for this season with a double including the main event at the Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Saturday.
With NLCB sponsoring the Arima Race Club's (ARC) opening day of racing, the feature NLCB Sian's Gold Sprint on the turf track gave punters and turfites, all that they could expect, with General JN winning by a short-head after making all the running.
Local racing resumed on Saturday and it was expected to be a tight event. That is exactly how it turned out with Glenn Mendez' eight-year-old General JN completing the sprint double of the Stewards Cup and Sian's Gold Sprint.
Punters made the John O'Brien-trained Super Bird the 6-5 favourite with General JN the 9-5 second favourite, Marvel Vigor the 5-2 third choice and the Lester Alexis-trained Cool Cat, fourth in the betting at 7-2.
When the starter sent the six-horse field on their way, General JN was first to show and he led by a short head from Marvel Vigor and Super Bird. These were followed by Cool Cat with Arsalan next and Pawan Putra at the rear. There was no joking in the event as the three horses locked horns with Marvel Vigor, Super Bird and General JN at the head of affair and gave nothing away. They were being chased by Cool Cat which continued to close quietly going to the far turn.
It was here that Dillon Khelawan asked General JN to go on and he did and pulled a length away from Super Bird and Marvel Vigor was tightened up a bit. Cool Cat was now just three lengths of the leader.
Coming to the corner, it looked as though General JN would pull clear of his rival under his big weight but that was not to be as champion jockey Brian Boodramsing brought Super Bird to attack the 'Mighty' General JN in the final 200 metres. It looked as though his ploy would work but Khelawan had other ideas and asked the Jerry Narace-owned horse to go win his race and he outbattled his rival to the line.
The highest-rated horse in training, General JN, won the first Graded event for 2023 by the shortest of margins, a short-head. Super Bird ran a great race but was out-done close home, with Cool Cat staying on well for third. Marvel Vigor was fourth. The time for the event was a very good one of 1:03.00.
Firecracker was impressive on debut for Mendez and he initiated a double for Narace with an impressive 5 1/2-length success in the NLCB Cash three-year-old maiden event over 1,100 metres. Harts Gap who finished second in the St James/St Ann's Stakes on Boxing Day behind Hello World was second.
Mendez and O'Brien shared the training kudos, with both saddling two winners each.
Riding honours for the day was shared between Boodramsing and Khelawan, who both rode two winners on day one of the ARC racing season.
DAY 1 RESULTS
R1: NLCB PLAY WHE MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP - 1,750M - $17,700
1*(1)*Soca Harmony*B Boodramsing*54*
2*(7)*Just Exhale*J Boodramsing*55*
3*(3)*Smooth Sailing*K Razack*50.5*
4*(5)*Blue Agave*R Jadoo*53*
TIME: 1:52.3 DISTANCES: Not Recorded
$1PARI: (1) $1.50; $1.30; (7) $1.55
$1EXACTA: $4.50
TRIFECTA: $41.45
SUPERFECTA: $52.60
WINNER: 4y.o. B filly - J'Ourvert/Soca Rhapsody (Market Rally)
OWNER: Lester MooreMr. TRAINER: J O'Brien
BREEDER: Lester Moore
ALSO RAN: 5. Supremacy R Ali 53.5; 6. Leonardo Angel T Phillips 55; 7. Desert Dancer P Badrie 58.5
R2: NLCB LOTTO NATIVE BRED 4 YO AND OVER MAIDENS - 1,100M - $13,900
1*(4)*Midnight Lover*D Khelawan*57*
2*(7)*Happy Bird*B Boodramsing*54*
3*(3)*D'Hummingbird*T Phillips*53*
4*(6)*Alpha Centauri*R Jadoo*54*
TIME: 1:05.4 DISTANCES: 1, 1, 1, 1/2, 3 1/2, 1 1/4, 4 1/4, 5 1/4.
$1PARI: (4) $4.75; $1.35; (7) $1.50; (3) $1.80
$1EXACTA: $24.45
TRIFECTA: $211.60
SUPERFECTA: $147.90
WINNER: 4 y.o. CH gelding - J'Ourvert/Kidz Ro (Lemon Drop Kid)
OWNER: Suraj Hayban TRAINER: L Alexis
BREEDER: Rajendra Maharajh
ALSO RAN: 5.JCPeyton P Badrie 54.5; 6. Emotional Damage N Samaroo 55.5; 7. Mona Lisa N Flavenney 54; 8. Quasimoto K Santo 54.5; 9. Gold For John O Mohammed 55.5; 10. Ziah J Boodramsing 55.
R3: NLCB FAST CASH NATIVE BRED 3 YO MAIDENS - 1,100M - $13,900
1*(5)*Fire Cracker*N Mohammed*54*
2*(3)*Harts Gap*J Boodramsing*54.5*
3*(4)*Blinding Light*R Ali*54*
4*(6)*Angry Bird*P Badrie*54.5*
TIME: 1:08.0 DISTANCES: 5 1/2, 1/2, 2 3/4, 1 3/4, 4, 2 1/4.
$1PARI: (5) $2.80; $1.10; (3) $1.05
EXACTA: $7.15
TRIFECTA: $11.65
SUPERFECTA: $37.15
WINNER: 3 y.o DK B filly - Vegas No Show/Rocket Wheels (Forest Danger)
OWNER: Jerry R Narace TRAINER: G Mendez
BREEDER: Jerry R Narace
ALSO RAN: 5. Nuclear War R Jadoo 57; 6. Princess Royal B Boodramsing 54; 7. Beep Beep O Mohammed 55.5.
NON-RUNNER: Ukraine
R4: NLCB WIN FOR LIFE MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP - 1,500M - $14,400
1*(6)*Princess Aruna*B Boodramsing*56*
2*(10)*Proud Vanessa*R Balgobin*50.5*
3*(3)*Zelda*J Boodramsing*55*
4*(2)*Star Of Wonder*A Poon*57*
5*(11)*Princess Alex*T Phillips*50*
TIME: 1:33.3 DISTANCES: 3 1/4, 4, 1 1/4, 3/4, 3/4, 3/4, 4 1/4, 4
$1PARI: (6) $1.70; $1.50; (10) $3.30; (3) $4.35
$1EXACTA: $16.80
TRIFECTA: $430.70
SUPERFECTA: $4,345.25
HI-5: $6,378.00
WINNER: 4 y.o. CH filly - Saint Vigeur/Market Rally (Gold Market)
OWNER: Mitra Samlal TRAINER: J O'Brien
BREEDER: Poon Tip Stud Farm Limited
ALSO RAN: 6.Davindra D Khelawan 54; 7. CP Jet N Flavenney 57; 8. Sexy Eyes O Mohammed 56; 9. Davinci Code R Ali 55; 10. Twitter King N Samaroo 56.5; 11. Mafia Man P Badrie 53.
NON-RUNNER: Comandante
R5: NLCB PICK 4 MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP - 1,500M - $13,900
1*(8)*Schwarzenegger*T Phillips*56*
2*(1)*Redhotfillypepper*D Khelawan*55*
3*(3)*Con Te Partiro*R Ali*54.5*
4*(5)*Fulfill*N Flavenney*58.5*
TIME: 1:35.1 DISTANCES: 4 3/4, 5 3/4, 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 1 1/2, 1 1/2.
$1PARI: (8) $3.00; $1.25; (1) $1.45; (3) $1.90
$1EXACTA: $16.00
TRIFECTA: $61.35
SUPERFECTA: $401.35
WINNER: 5 y.o DK B horse - Vegas No Show/Cinema Show (Gulch)
OWNER: The Stranger TRAINER: R Ramroop
BREEDER: Paradise Farms Limited
ALSO RAN: 5. She WBO On Time O Mohammed 55.5; 6. Man On Fire N Samaroo 55.5; 7. Kobe R Jadoo 58; 8. Lady Hamilton R Balgobin 50.5; 9. Pure Strike J Arneaud 55.5.
R6: NLCB SIAN'S GOLD SPRINT (GR III) OPEN TO ALL HORSES 3 YO & OVER - 1,100M - $66,200
1*(7)*General JN*D Khelawan*57*
2*(6)*Super Bird*B Boodramsing*51*
3*(4)*Cool Cat*R Ali*51*
4*(3)*Marvel Vigor*N Mohammed*45*
TIME: 1:03.00 DISTANCES: Sh.Head, 3 1/4, 4 1/2, 3 1/2
$1PARI: (7) $2.80; $1.85; (6) $1.55
$1EXACTA: $6.75
TRIFECTA: $10.95
SUPERFECTA: $25.70
WINNER: 8y.o. CH horse - Forest Danger/Sea Treaty (Law Of The Sea)
OWNER: Jerry R Narace TRAINER: G Mendez
BREEDER: Everglades Farm Limited (Jamaica)
ALSO RAN: 5. Arsalan R Balgobin 45; 6. Pawan Putra R Jadoo 48
NON-RUNNER: Top Of The Game
R7: NLCB SCRATCH MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP - 1,200M - $14,400
1*(6)*C'Est La Vie*O Mohammed*55.5*
2*(10)*Prince Connor*J Arneaud*56*
3*(9)*Davina*B Boodramsing*56*
4*(8)*Country Sign*D Khelawan*56*
5*(7)*Atta Girl Silvy*N Mohammed*55.5*
TIME: 1:15.4 DISTANCES: 2, 2 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 1 1/2, 1, 2 1/4, 1 1/4.
$1 PARI: (6) $15.75; $2.80; (10) $3.30; (9) $1.55
$1 EXACTA: $207.25
TRIFECTA: $703.30
SUPERFECTA: $2,290.43
HI-5: $14,594.40
WINNER: 5 yo B mare - Signal Alert/Sound Barrier (Private Banker)
OWNER: D & Dr Stables TRAINER: J Rampersad
BREEDER: Paradise Farms Limited
ALSO RAN: 6. Market Leader N Samaroo 56; 7. Thunderbird J Boodramsing 55; 8. Maha Raja R Jadoo 58.5; 9. Magical World R Ali 57; 10. Empress Hassan T Phillips 54.