Sugar Mike is Horse of the Year

BRILLIANT American-bred five-year-old colt Sugar Mike was voted Horse of the Year 2003, at the annual Arima Race Club Neal & Massy Group/Betting Levy Board Jetsam Awards at Hilton Hotel on Friday night. But there were two prizes for connections of  Top Of The Class who was edged out for the top award. Sugar Mike became the eighth USA-bred winner of the top award which was presented at a glittering ceremony at the hotel’s ballroom. Winner of nine races from ten starts, the son of Ponche/No Sugar scored a notable double in winning both the sprint Stewards Cup and distance Gold Cup.

And Sugar Mike was the recipient of three other awards on the night. Owned by Bertwin “Mike” Samlalsingh, the big colt won the Imported Sprinter and Imported Stayer awards by unanimous acclaim, and added the award for the top Florida-bred Horse, just as he won most of his races,  in clear-cut fashion. Sugar Mike was following in the footsteps of Ackstatic, (1983), Araby Jane (1992), Sian’s Gold (1994), Vandross (1995), Double Helix (1997), Personal Decision (1998) and Another Decision (2001) as the American-bred horses to take the Horse of the Year mantle. Dubbed the Heavyweight Champion of Santa Rosa Park by his trainer Grant Lourenco, after spreadeagling the opposition at varying distances with some welter burdens, also posted five records in sprint and staying distances throughout the past season. Sugar Mike on Friday night became only the second horse to claim the Horse of the Year title over a Triple Crown winner (Carnival Messiah).  The other was Another Decision two years ago when the panel surprised turfites.

The Merlin Samlalsingh/Rupert Leong Poi-owned Top Of The Class was brilliant in winning the Easter Guineas, Midsummer Classic and Royal Oak Derby, before adding the Caribbean Champion Stakes to pocket $1 million offered by Colonial Life Insurance Company for the feat. The Freshly Squeezed/Crescendo offspring was voted Champion West Indies-bred three-year-old Colt/Gelding and also got the nod as Champion West Indies-bred stayer. Sweet Tempo gave trainer Glenn Mendez double in capturing the Champion three-year-old Fillies crown, while Trini To D Bone was named Champion Two-year-old Filly and Pave The Way took the Champion two-year-old Colt/Gelding title. The ARC gave special awards to ex-jockey/trainer Lewter Newman and administrators Emmanuel Annisette and Ronald Kowlessar. And in recognition of their contributions to Caribbean racing, special citations were handed out to Dr Steve Bennett, Christopher Joseph Armond, Elias Haloute, Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj and posthumously to the late John Derek Cozier.

Other awards: Top WI-bred Sprinter — Napoleon; Champion Sire — Freshly Squeezed; Top Owner — Maniram Maharaj; Top Breeder — Myrna Hadeed; Leading Trainer: Glenn Mendez; Champion Jockey — Brian Harding; Champin Apprentice — Sheldon Rodrigo.