| Race Day Preview Day 19 Saturday 19th May 2012 | ||||
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ARIMA RACE CLUB RACE DAY PREVIEW DAY 19 SATURDAY 19th MAY 2012
Raise Your Glass at Santa Rosa
RAISE YOUR GLASS will be in the spotlight when horse racing continues at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Saturday. The Deo Maharaj-owned chestnut will be involved in the fifth race of a ten-race card during the 19th round of the Arima Race Club’s 2012 Season. It will be only the second outing for Raise Your Glass since he came across from his native Jamaica. He was introduced to Santa Rosa Park in the Easter Guineas when the Glenn Mendez inmate placed ninth of 13 on Easter Monday (April 9). But although he finished in front of just four horses in the opening leg of the triple crown, Raise Your Glass was beaten by less than six lengths in the Grade I 1,800-metre contest. Saturday’s race will come just 11 days before the second leg and usually connections prefer at least three weeks to a get a charge ready for a big race after a “prep.” But this is a straightforward assignment and should nothing more than a stroll in the park for Raise Your Glass ahead of the Midsummer Classic on Indian Arrival Day (May 30). Seven will be in opposition in the 1,750-metre contest for 55-35-rated horses at 2.24 p.m. The Pick 6 wager will begin in this race and just over $7,000 has been carried over in this week’s pool after punters were unable to select all the winners in the six designated races last week Saturday. It is being sandwiched between the first two of the four HI-5 betting events during the afternoon. The first HI-5 is for 45-25-rated horses and 11 of them have been declared to fact the starter over 1,300 metres at 1.49 p.m.
Two races later the 40 & lower horses will line up over 1,100 metres a few minutes after 3 p.m. No more than 12 horses are allowed to compete in a turf event, which means that there are as many as eight reserves because of the massive list of 20 declared runners. The next HI-5 event is over the same course and distance and there should be another full house in the eighth race as 16 West Indian-bred three-year-old maidens were declared for this Handicap. The field for the 4.20 p.m. contest includes newcomers Night Life, Charming Lass, Cassi’s Gold and the Jamaican-bred Saturday’s Special. And the curtain will come down on proceedings at Santa Rosa Park with HI-5 wagering in the 1,350-metre contest for 70-50 rated horses. Thirteen of them have been declared to do battle at 5.38 p.m. The main attraction is the second race, which will be the first of five events on the grass for the afternoon. And all of them will be over a distance of 1,100 metres. Eight have been declared and five of them seem capable of leading the way home at 12.35 p.m. After surprisingly competing in nine straight races on the main course, Joezel will finally return to the lawn for the first time in over 11 months. The American-bred four-year-old is much better on this course and has two wins and two thirds from five starts, compared with one victory and two thirds from 12 outings on the main course. Joezel has also raced at a higher level than his opponents, but the problem for the Mendez-trained runner could be the fact that seven of his last eight races have been over two turns.
However his supporters would be buoyed by the fact that the Paul Mouttet-owned gelding had done well in sprints in the past and does have a victory over the course and distance. The same could be said about Smart American, who accomplished the feat in the middle of a hat-trick in mid-January. But the son of 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Smarty Jones has cooled off slightly in his last two starts and has finished behind King Whistler both times. Like Joezel, King Whistler has not raced on the turf in quite a while. But the American-bred four-year-old had done well on the surface and could be dangerous over the distance. Wild Shuffle, who finished ahead of both King Whistler and Smart American when he was second to Ignition Coil a month ago over on the dirt over Saturday’s trip, is another to keep an eye on. Like fellow American-bred four-year-olds King Whistler and Joezel, this Wendell Kangaloo-owned son of Hennessy has not been on the grass in a long time. But Wild Shuffle has also displayed a liking for the surface and although he lacks consistency, he is a very talented and versatile horse. Fly Junior is the other to consider after the American-bred three-year-old turned in his maidens’ certificate over course and distance last time out. The American-bred three-year-old only defeated maidens, but it was his very first time on the surface and he registered a fast time of 1:04.12 in disposing of his rivals by almost four lengths at the end of last month.
Action will get going at noon in Arima, but race fans will also be concentrating on Pimlico race course throughout the afternoon. Saturday is Preakness Day and the second leg of the American triple crown and all other races on the card will be seen via simulcast from Baltimore, Maryland.
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 18 May 2012 12:12 ) |