Sugar Mike looks sweet in ARC feature

SUGAR MIKE is yet to get his head in front at the finish line in his two local starts since arriving from the United State. But that could change by scoring in the Allowance feature on the Arima Race Club Day 8 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, today.

Grant Lourenco’s four-year-old remains a smart prospect despite finding Cash Wager and Napoleon too good in last year’s Stewards Cup, and Adawar better in the Gold Cup 12 days later. This big imposing individual, who looks more the staying type, showed versatility in both the sprint and staying events and was far from disgraced in either, since the winners of both prestigious races at the back end of the last racing season were dominant figures in the top league. They are the only runners given graded status on the present classification list. In both races,  the son of Ponche/No Sugar had some established runners following him home and a repeat of his initial form should be good enough for him to take the $11,500 first prize in the 1100 metres sprint.

Besides Sugar Mike, Lourenco has another good  representative in Song Of Freedom in  today’s dash on the main course. This Kentucky-bred gelding had not found the winners’ enclosure in his campaign at Arlington Park and Churchill Downs, where he raced among the high-priced claiming ranks. But the four-year-old is held in high regard by his trainer and that is backed  by his entry in today’s speed contest. The good looking son of Boston Harbour looks built for speed, and gave a glimpse of things to come  in his final preparation on Sunday, when he breezed the last 1000 metres in a comfortable 1:04.54. Today’s contest, in which eight horses will go to post, represents a big drop in class and is expected to give his stablemate a run for top honours. Like Lourenco, trainer Jack Debideen also sends out a two-pronged attack in the event.

Gold Master, who opened his winning account last time out, has already establish himself and with first call jockey Ricardo Jadoo opting to ride him, this must be a pointer to turfites. But his unraced stablemate Miss Lover Lover has been coming along steadily at exercise gallops and it would not  be a surprise to see her in the shake-up. The Starter Allowance event which follows and the West Indian Bred three-year-old maiden contest, where some aspiring Derby contenders are down to test their staying powers for the first time, are other events of interest on the nine-race programme. Lady Honoree gets the vote in the Starter Allowance fray and a good word goes out for Hollywood Star in the latter of the two 1750 metres events, where a full complement of 16 runners go to post.