Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer
RUM TALK (outside) has drawn a tough post position one for Sunday's Caribbean Classic. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
JAMAICA'S RUM TALK will break from the dreaded inside draw of post position one for Sunday's Caribbean Classic (Clasico Del Caribe) at Puerto Rico's El Commandante racetrack.
In 10 career starts, the Philip Feanny-trained colt, who does his best running in the latter stages of races, has drawn gate number one on three occasions, narrowly winning twice but also losing the biggest prize of the year, the Jamaica Derby, from inside the 'hole'.
Feanny, who did not travel with RUM TALK to Puerto Rico, instead sending his protégé, Spencer Chung, yesterday lamented his runner's draw in the nine-furlong US$300,000 event, which has attracted 10 runners from countries with shores in the Caribbean.
"It's the worst draw he could get," said Feanny, before explaining that he did not travel to Puerto Rico because he had business to take care of in Jamaica.
However, he said he was confident in the expertise of Chung, who understudied him for years before graduating from the Jamaica Racing Commission's trainers' course this past summer.
"Most definitely," Feanny said when asked whether he was comfortable with Chung being in Puerto Rico.
"He was trained by the best," added the 14-time champion trainer.
Richest horse race
Feanny's runner, owned by Stephen and Valentine Chung along with Clovis Metcalfe, is among 10 entries for the richest horse race in the Caribbean, featuring participants from hosts Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and Panama, which won the event last year with AY PAPA.
RUM TALK will be partnered by Puerto Rican Hall of Fame jockey Julio A. Garcia, who started his career in 1983 and has one of the most impressive records in the saddle for his country.
Garcia became the only jockey to win more than 300 races in a year in 1989, landing 320 events.
Based in Florida, Garcia is a five-time champion jockey in Puerto Rico, winning titles in 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1992. He has twice won six races in one afternoon and landed the Caribbean Classic with CANDY BACK B in 1991 and EL GRAN NANO in 1994.
Meanwhile, Jamaica's other runner in Puerto Rico, Billy Williams-trained MIRACLE MAN, the defending Confraternity Cup (Copa Confraternidad) champion, had his first workout on Tuesday, galloping five furlongs in 1:01.0 with Florida-based Jamaican rider Allen Maragh in the irons.
Later in the day, MIRACLE MAN, the first Jamaican horse to win an international race when he landed the US$100,000 Confraternity Cup last year, was drawn at post position three among six runners for Saturday's race.
Running at odds of 6-1 under Florida-based Panmanian jockey, Cecilio Penalba, MIRACLE MAN won last year's event in a time of 1:59:2.
Mexico's YACK LIDER finished second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Puerto Rico's BORRASCOSO, who could start favourite after twice featuring in track record races at El Commandante; he set a mark of 2:05.3 for 10 furlongs on November 11.
