'Principal' wins feature

Published: Sunday | December 13, 2009


Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer


PRINCE OF PEACE (outside), one of two winners for Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas and trainer Richard Azan, is about to tag the favourite FOREVER MINE (Paul Francis) by a head in the fifth race over 1100 metres for the Rajiv Maragh Trophy at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance photographer

THE PRINCIPAL, running of odds of 7-2 with Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas aboard, won the highly competitive Impulse Energy Drink Cup feature over 1200 metres in decisive fashion at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Earlier in the afternoon, Cardenas, riding the vastly improved PRINCE OF PEACE for in-form trainer Richard Azan, won the other co-feature on the card, the Rajiv Maragh Trophy over 1100 metres (open allowance), this in honour of the Jamaican-born jockey who is making big waves on the North American circuit.

Accompanied by his father Collin and girlfriend Angeline Ramlall, Rajiv was present at Caymanas Park yesterday as special guest of the promoters, Caymanas Track Limited. After the fifth race, he presented the trophy to the connections of PRINCE OF PEACE, who in winning by a head from the front-running favourite FOREVER MINE, completed a hat-trick of wins.

This was Rajiv's second visit to Caymanas Park this year. He made his first visit in February while sitting out a seven-day suspension imposed by the Aqueduct stewards.

Now 24, Rajiv, who was warmly received by racing fans, has so far ridden 233 winners in the United States with stakes earnings of $11.6 million this year, topping last year's tally. He is currently the seventh leading money-winning rider and the 12th winningest jockey in 2009.

stewards' inquiry

Meanwhile, THE PRINCIPAL ran on strongly between horses midway the last furlong to win the third and final race in the Inpulse Energy Drink Series confined to four-year-olds and up ((non-winners of three other than). One of two winners for trainer Patrick 'Wacky' Lynch, the 4-y-o chestnut filly who had to survive a stewards' inquiry, outfinished 13-1 chance ARIANA and the fourth horse MINERVA (5-1) to win by 1 1/4 lengths, this after the 50-1 outsider, THAT'S MY MARKET, led the field at a merry chase into the straight.

Although Lynch and Richard Azan both saddled two winners, they were upstaged by top-line jockey Dane Nelson, who rode three winners on the card in 9-1 chance STORM TRACKER, 7-5 shot GALLAVANTER and 10-1 winner CONFETTI to push his season's tally to 75 for third in the standings.

One of the most remarkable winners of the afternoon was the Azan-trained debutante KRYPTOGRAM (6-1) who produced a devastating last furlong run from well of the pace to catch 4-5 favourite FLINSTONE close home in the fourth race over 1200 for maiden two-year-olds.

The grey colt by Coded Warning out of Cozenage was ridden by 4.0kg claiming apprentice Fabion Jones.

 
 
 
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