Piloted by the bustling Phillip Parchment, Intrestntimesahead romped the 10-horse Futurity contest –in which he was one of only two colts in the field–by three lengths and pocketed the $4 million purse for his connections.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, Intrestntimesahead, running from the number six draw, was held off the pace in fifth by Parchment, as stablemate Banadura (Robert Halledeen) dominated proceedings, with Matuso (Raddesh Roman) for company down the backstretch.
Comehometome (Reyan Lewis), and Run Julie Run (Omar Walker) were also in touching distance, as the leaders approached the half-mile mark, and it was at that point that Parchment got Intrestntimesahead into his running.
When they left there and headed towards the stretch run, Run Julie Run took aim at Banadura, and easily swept by the longtime leader as they straightened, but by then, Intrestntimesahead, had hit top stride and burst through on the rails.
From there, the writing was on the walls, as the Bold Conquest -My Friend Lucy charge, owned by Elizabeth DaCosta, covered the distance in a 1:39.2, behind splits of 24.0, 46.3 and 1:13.1.
Run Julie Run stayed on for second, with Fastnfuriouslinks (Javaniel Patterson) and Buttercup (Tevin Foster) completing the frame.
Meanwhile, veteran rider Oneil Mullings topped his peers with winners on the 10-race Boxing Day card. Mullings won the first and eighth events aboard Lion Talk for trainer Ryan Williams and Ricardo Brown’s City Hawk.
They teamed up with the Carlton Watson-owned three-year-old American-bred bay colt Is That A Fact, who easily took apart Overnight Allowance rivals first time up in class, over six furlongs (1,200m).
In fact, Is That A Fact, was one of three winners on the 10-race card for the inform Lewis, who moved his tally this season to 73 wins and holds a commanding 17-race lead over reigning champion Dane Dawkins.
The Palace Malice - Valid Code Progeny Is That A Fact, entered the contest overwhelmingly favoured to secure the hat-trick, and that he did with consummate ease.
After being hustled early to join and later overtake Rojorn Di Pilot (Omar Walker) on the headlines, Lewis and Is That A Fact, were always comfortable, especially leaving the half-mile and from there it was a question of how far he would beat his eight rivals.
The answer, a resounding 7 1/4 lengths being eased at the end, as his more experienced rivals, had no response to Is That A Fact's devastating stretch kick that propelled him to a decent time of 1:13.0, after splits of 23.1 and 47.1 seconds.
Rojorn Di Pilot stayed on for second, fending off I’ve Got Magic (Phillip Parchment), while Taurus Boy (O'Neil Mullings) completed the frame.
Lewis’s other victories were Ali, in the first event –handing new trainer Donwell Dawes his first victory – and Patrick Lynch's Simba The Lion in the fifth race.
Lynch also saddled two winners Select Me (Ramon Nepare), who won the second event.
Meanwhile, Dawkins, determined to retain his title, had two winners on the card — Slam Dunk in the fourth race and Money Box in the final event, both for trainer Gary Subratie.
Racing continues on Sunday.
With Jason DaCosta’s ante-post favorite Is That A Fact scratched from the event, Azan’s four-year-old bay gelding, partnered with Tevin Foster, proved too good in the $1.4 million feature, registering an eighth career win, and third of the season.
Though well backed at odds of 5-2, Perfect Brew was expected to have a difficult task of getting back to his more fleet-footed competitors Rojorn Di Pilot (Omar Walker), Lure of Lucy (Jerome Innis), Jordon Reign’s (Dane Dawkins) and I’ve Got Magic (Bebeto Harvey) in the dash.
The predictions seemed likely to play out when Perfect Brew, drawn post position four, broke behind rivals and was quickly switched to the inside rails by Foster.
This, as Rojorn Di Pilot assumed pole ahead of Lure of Lucy (Jerome Innis), I’ve Got Magic (Bebeto Harvey), and God of Love (Anthony Allen), before Jordon Reign's swept by all to dictate terms in the early exchanges.
As the frontrunners continued to jostle for the headlines to try and steal a march on the field, Perfect Brew and Foster soon got into stride and moved within striking distance by the time they flashed past the half-mile mark.
Though still under a fairly tight hold by Foster, Perfect Brew was full of running which he unleashed in the stretch run. While Jordon Reign's and I've Got Magic engaged in a bumping duel on the inside rail, Foster took the Bern Identity-Moonlight Brew progeny three wide.
And with quick change of his hold, followed by a show of the left-hand whip, the in-form jockey and Perfect Brew briskly swept by their rivals and powered away at the furlong pole to complete a four-and-a-half length victory.
They stopped the clock in 1:12.1, behind splits of 23.0 and 46.1 seconds.
I’ve Got Magic, Jordon Reign’s and Rojorn Di Pilot, completed the frame.
Meanwhile, DaCosta, along with jockeys Phillip Parchment and Dane Dawkins secured two winners each on the 10-race card.
Dawkins won the seventh and 10th events for the Princess Popstar and Reggae Roots Rocking Trophies, aboard DaCosta’s Digital One, and Errol Burke’s Nakamura.
DaCosta’s other winner was Parchment-partnered Phenomenal One in the eighth, ran for the Reggae Legend Trophy. Parchment earlier won the sixth event aboard Andrew McDonald’s War Horse, copping the Reggae Skanking Trophy.
Racing continues on Sunday.
