‘Class’ returns to Santa Rosa

Easter Guineas and Midsu-mmer Classic winner Top Of The Class is set to grace the track at Santa Rosa Park on Saturday.

The triple crown seeker is listed to make an appearance against six runners in a 1750 metres allowance contest, highlighting a 10-race card on the Arima Race Club Day 26 programme. The Glenn Mendez-trained three-year-old son of Freshly Squeezed has become a household name after the manner he disposed of his age group in the first two classic races this season. He is using Saturday’s race as a warm-up for next month’s Royal Oak Derby (September 24). Victory in next month’s blue riband will rake in a bonus of $250,000 for completing the Triple Crown for owners Merlin Samlalsingh and Rupert Leong Poi, besides the winner’s purse. And should the stout-hearted front runner go on to capture the Champion Stakes later in the season, will dent the coffers of CLICO by a further $750,000.

Trainer Mendez goes into Saturday’s event with a double-fisted attack. Carnival Messiah who in 2001 became the first to complete the elusive treble since centralisation of horse racing at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, will be his other representative in the West Indian bred staying event. Trainer John O’Brien is also well represented with four runners in the star-studded contest worth $26,000. Chanticleer, who chalked up 25 wins on both courses at Arima and is just  a few thousand dollars shy of one million dollars  in earnings heads his attack. New Millenium, last year’s Royal Oak Derby winner, Maid of Honour and Bound To Dot Com are the other members who will be trying to dent Top Of The Class’ tall reputation leading up to the final leg of the series. The field is completed by Fresh Honey.

Following are the framed races, entries, weights and jockeys for the entire card.
RACE 1: (12.45pm) W I BRED 2 Y.O - PURSE $22,000 - 1100 METRES.
1. ALL SET TO BATTLE - 55 - J ARNEAUD, 2. JAVA TAKEOVER - 50 - N SAMAROO, 3. SUNDAY JEWEL - 53 - R RAJKUMAR, 4. EL GRINGO - 52 - R JADOO, 5. JAVA IN STYLE - 52 - R SINGH, 6. MUSIC MAN - 52 - F RAZACK, 7. SALSA MOVES - 52 - R MANGALEE, 8. LAURA’S BOY - 52 - R CHADEE.
RACE 2: (1.20pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($7,500 - $6,500) - PURSE $17,000 - 1350 METRES.
1. ONCE IN A LIFETIME - 43.5 - R BADAL, 2. DAURIAN - 49.5 - J ARNEAUD, 3. IF ONLY - 45.5 - K BISSOON, 4. CASH REWARD - 49.5 - R JADOO, 5. UNCLE JOE - 45.5 - R RAGOONATH, 6. DURABILITY - 48.5 - R FREEMAN, 7. YANKEE EAGLE - 55.5 - N SAMAROO.
RACE 3: (1.55pm) HANDICAP - IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER MAIDENS - PURSE $21,000 - 1300 METRES.
1. RING DANG DO - 52.5 - W BHARATH, 2. PATTIE’S NO ANGEL - 53.5 - S RODRIGO, 3. OUTRAGEOUS VICTORY - 55 - B HARDING, 4. FROMNOWUNTIL - 52 - C MARQUEZ, 5. GAZA STRIP - 56.5 - J.ARNEAUD, 6. MARACAS BAY - 47 - R.FREEMAN, 7. GUATAMA - 55.5 - V CHARLES.
RACE 4: (2.30pm) ALLOWANCE - W I BRED 3 Y.O & OVER WINNERS AND IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER.
1. MILLENIUM REIGN - 56.5 - B HARDING, 2. MAID OF HONOUR - 49.5 - G LABAN, 3. TOP OF THE CLASS - 43.5 - R JADOO, 4. CARNIVAL MESSIAH - 56.5 - S RODRIGO, 5. BOUND TO DOT COM - 43.5 - R MANGALEE, 6. FRESH HONEY - 46.5 - N SAMAROO, 7. CHANTICLEER - 56.5 - N ABREGO.
RACE 5: (3.05pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($6,000 - $5,000) - PURSE $11,000 - 1100 METRES.
1. SHEZABUTE - 49.5 - H EMAMALIE, 2. JUSTICE - 52.5 - R FREEMAN, 3. CONFIRMED - 48.5 - G LABAN, 4. DUCHESS ALICIA - 53.5 - D GAFF, 5. MYSTILE - 51.5 - R RAGOONATH, 6. TOUR D’ARGENT - 47.5 - R THOMAS, 7. TOUCH WOOD - 55.5 - B, HARDING, 8. SPIN N’SQUEEZE - 51.5 - F.RAZACK, 9. JENA’S DELIGHT - 45.5 - N SAMAROO.
RACE 6: (3.40pm) W I BRED 3 Y.O WINNERS & W I BRED 4 Y.O & OVER NON-WINNERS OF THREE RACES - PURSE $21,000 - 1250 METRES.
1. NATURELLY CLASSY - 55.5 - S RODRIGO, 2. ACTUAL LADY - 52.5 - R THOMAS, 3. SWEET LAURA LEE - 48 - R MANGALEE, 4. BAGGY GREEN - 52.5 - N SAMAROO, 5. LOUD MUSIC - 55 - J ARNEAUD, 6. GOLDEN HONOUR - 55.5 - V CHARLES, 7. LADY ROSSIE - 53.5 - R JADOO, 8. HYARIMA - 50 - N ABREGO, 9. FRANCESCA - 56.5 - B HARDING.
RACE 7: (4.15pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($10,500 - $8,500) - PURSE $18,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. NOT TO WORRIE - 48.5 - G.LABAN, 2. I’M NO HUNTER - 44.5 - F RAZACK 3. HILLSIDE SYMPHONY - 53.5 - C MARQUEZ, 4. LOVELY PEARL - 53.5 - R FREEMAN, 5. SINGINGINTHEWIND - 49.5 - R.RAGOONATH, 6. PEACE CONSORT - 55.5 - B HARDING, 7. STORMING WIND - 52.5 - R JADOO, 8. GROOMSMAN - 55.5 - N.ABREGO, 9. DIGITAL ALARM - 55.5 - J ARNEAUD, 10. ULA - 50.5 - R RAJKUMAR.
RACE 8: (4.50pm) W I BRED 3 Y.O MAIDENS - PURSE $22,000 - 1100 METRES.
1. TWIST N’YURN - 44.5 - R FREEMAN, 2. SERAH’S TRICK - 44.5 - G LABAN, 3. SMALL AXE - 44.5 - R RAGOONATH, 4. NEVER EVER WORRIE - 53.5 - W BHARATH, 5. EL PRESIDENTE - 46.5 - C MARQUEZ, 6. CHEERLEADER - 44.5 - R RAJKUMAR, 7. YOU’VE GOT MAIL - 55.5 - R JADOO, 8. TRAVEL AGENT - 56.5 - N ABREGO, 9. ROYAL MADRID - 52.5 - R THOMAS, 10. TORA BORA - 52.5 - B HARDING, 11. COPY CAT - 46.5 - R.SINGH, 12. HOLLLYWOOD STAR - 52.5 - H.EMAMALIE.
RACE 9: (5.25pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL; CLAIMING ($20,000 - $16,000) - PURSE $20,000 - 1750 METRES.
1. BOUND TO FLY - 52.5 - H EMAMALIE, 2. JOINT VENTURE - 49.5 - R RAJKUMAR, 3. EL GUERROUJ - 50.5 - N ABREGO, 4. TRICKY GUY - 52.5 - C MARQUEZ, 5. INDIAN DECISION - 53.5 - R THOMAS, 6. LIFE IN RUSSIA - 53.5 - K BISSOON, 7. NEW STAR - 52.5 - N.HARDING, 8. SQUEE ZINTRU - 51.5 - G LABAN, 9. CITY OF LIGHTS - 47.5 - S.RODRIGO.
RACE 10: (5.50pm) STARTER ALLOWANCE - W I BRED 3 Y.O WINNERS & IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $23,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. SPLITTING IMAGE - 49.5 - R JADOO, 2. CHAMPAGNE WAGER - 56.5 - S RODRIGO, 3. GOLD CONVEYOR - 51.5 - B HARDING, 4. THE GUV’NOR - 49.5 - R RAJKUMAR, 5. PUNTO A PUNTO - 53.5 - W BHARATH, 6. ISLE BE TRUE - 53.5 - H.EMAMALIE, 7. PHANTOM MENACE - 53.5 - V CHARLES, 8. LOVELY HONOREE - 51.5 - C MARQUEZ, 9. SQUEEZED MOMENT - 51.5 - G.LABAN.