Sugar Mike sweet for Stewards’ Cup

Sugar Mike will put his unbeaten run on the main course on the line on Saturday in the Stakes and Lower Handicap on round 35 of the Arima Race Club Day current racing at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.

The Grant Lourenco inmate, whose colours was lowered only once on the turf this season from seven starts, will tote the top impost of 60.5 kilos. He is up against six rivals in the 1300-metres contest highlighting Saturday’s ten-race card. The four-year-old bay colt bred to Ponche/No Sugar is sure to be among the list of candidates for “Horse Of The Year” and will be using the event to sharpen his edges for a tilt at next month’s Stewards’ Cup. Listed to oppose owner Bertwin Samlalsingh star in the extended sprint is Cash Wager. The champion imported sprinter of last season will be making his first appearance since copping the prestigious dash last year. His return to racing in the speed contest after 11-months is seen as a pipe-opener geared to a defence of his Stewards’ Cup crown.

Carnival Messiah, a convincing winner of a Handicap One and Lower staying event last week, revets in distance and goes after a quick double against the top two. Smooth Operator, Invincibility and the disappointing  Phantom Bidder are the others vying for the prizes totalling $35,000 in Saturday’s main event. West Indian bred juveniles will again come under the microscope of punters in one of two supporting highlights on the card. Trainer Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj has ruled the the roost with his babes this term winning all but one of the ten events he has pitted runners. The shrewed conditioner has 30 wins to his credit, five off leader Glenn Mendez and seems to be silently making a late bid for championship honours. Maharaj has seven of the 15 juveniles entered to contest the 1200-metres sprint. Miss Lover Lover, who has been racing consistently well since switching barns is also listed for another appearance. The Edmund De Freitas trainee is among a line-up of 13 in the Restricted Handicap.

Following are the framed races, entries, weights and jockeys for the entire card.

RACE 1: (12 noon) OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($10,000 - $8,500) - 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $18,000 - 1100 METRES (TURF).
1. Mir On Fire - 55.5 - R.Ramirez, 2. Alibi Iki - 51.5 - R.Rajkumar, 3. New Star - 52.5 - N.Mangalee, 4. Bonus Point - 53.5 - R.Jadoo, 5. Poetry - 52.5 - B.Harding, 6. Badpayjamesee - 52.5 - L.Keizer, 7. My Aphrodite - 52.5 - H.Emamalie.

RACE 2: (12.35pm) OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($6,000 - $5,000) 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $14,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Bobs Treasure - 53.5 - K.Bissoon, 2. Hillside Symphony - 55.5 - K.Jadoo, 3. Kay Gee Bee - 51.5 - G.Laban, 4. Stormy Season - 51.5 - H.Emamalie, 5. Ula - 49.5 - B.Harding, 6. Regent Boy - 49.5 - F.Razack, 7. Duchess Alicia - 49.5 - R.Ragoonath, 8. Indian Trouble - 48.5 - L.Keizer, 9. Cash Reward - 51.5 - R.Jadoo, 10. Jena’s Delight - 45.5 - N.Samaroo, 11. Vaqueiro - 51.5 - D.Gaff.

RACE 3: (1.10pm) HANDICAP - W I BRED 3 Y.O & OVER NON-WINNERS OF FIVE RACES - PURSE $20,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Naturelly Classy - 54.5 - R.Thomas, 2. Ichiban - 56.5 - N.Abrego, 3. Hyarima - 46 - F.Razack, 4. Time To Fly - 48.5 - L.Keizer, 5. Lady Rossie - 50 - R.Jadoo, 6. Reign Of Fire - 46 - W.Galviz, 7. Golden Honour - 54.5 - N.Mangalee.

RACE 4: (1.48pm) W I BRED 2 Y.O - PURSE $22,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Dealer’s Choice - 45 - F.Razack, 2. Nobleman - 47 - N.Mangalee, 3. Deadsure - 45 - R.Jadoo, 4. Java In Style - 52.5 - R.Singh, 5. Sou Sou Moni - 45 - W.Bharath, 6. Bank Account - 47 - R.Mangalee, 7. Java Takeover - 50.5 - L.Munoz, 8. D J Great - 47 - R.Freeman, 9. Sweet N’Beautiful - 45 - K.Bissoon, 10. All Set To Battle - 50 - N.Abrego, 11. Philadelphian - 47 - S.Rodrigo, 12. Melanie My Love - 53 - R.Persad, 13. Laura’s Boy - 50 - K.Chandler, 14. Sunday Jewel - 48 - C.Marquez, 15. Salsa Moves - 50 - L.Keizer.

RACE 5: (2.26pm) OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($7,500 - $6,000) - 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $17,000 - 1750 METRES.
1. Daurian - 46.5 - R.Rajkumar, 2. Storming Wind - 53.5 - H.Emamalie, 3. Spin N’ Squeeze - 49.5 - F.Razack, 4. Dunsborough - 54.5 - N.Abrego, 5. If Only - 50.5 - K.Bissoon, 6. Mystile - 50.5 - R.Freeman, 7. Bold Fapp - 53.5 - R.Jadoo, 8. Cotonou - 44.5 - W.Bharath, 9. Yankee Eagle - 53.5 - L.Munoz, 10. Erin Dancer - 50.5 - L.Keizer, 11. El Guerrouj - 55.5 - B.Harding, 12. Shezubute - 54.5 - R.Mangalee.
RACE 6: (3.00pm) HANDICAP - W I BRED 3 Y.O WINNERS AND W I BRED 4 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $21,000 - 1725 METRES (TURF).
1. Underdinfluence - 50 - R.Thomas, 2. Classy Kim (T0) - 49 - R.Thomas, 3. Royal Red - 51.5 - L.Keizer, 4. Val Nistelrooy - 50 - N.Mangalee, 5. Tricky Guy - 56.5 - S.Rodrigo, 6. Fresh Mandate - 50 - W.Galviz, 7. Running Trick - 46 - R.Badal, 8. Bound To Dot Com - 52 - G.Laban, 9. Celebration Time - 54.5 - H.Emamalie.

RACE 7: (3.36pm) OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($14,000 - $11,000) - 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $19,000 - 1300 METRES.
1. Indian Decision - 54.5 - J.Stephen, 2. Fruition - 47.5 - N.Mangalee, 3. Living In Hope - 52.5 - W.Galviz, 4. Politics - 51.5 - R.Jadoo, 5. Bite De Bullet - 50.5 - R.Mangalee, 6. Balthazar - 51.5 - B.Harding, 7. Toronto Star - 49.5 - N.Samaroo, 8. Bajan Connection - 53.5 - G.Laban, 9. Groomsman - 55.5 - N.Abrego, 10. Life In Russia - 51.l5 - R.Ramirez.

RACE 8: (4.12pm) RESTRICTED HANDICAP - W I BRED 3 Y.O & OVER AND IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $21,000 - 1350 METRES.
1. Sea Spider - 46 - W.Bharath, 2. Squee Zintru - 52 - W.Galviz, 3. My Son John - 56.5 - V.Charles, 4. Honor Bound - 54 - H.Emamalie, 5. Morgan Heritage - 51.5 - S.Rodrigo, 6. Kalyan - 52.5 - B.Harding, 7. Miss Lover Lover - 56.5 - N.Mangalee, 8. Game High - 51 - L.Keizer, 9. Maid Of Honour - 54.5 - R.Mangalee, 10. Notanothernoble - 45.5 - R.Jadoo, 11. Squeezed Moment - 51.5 - G.Laban, 12. Ruby Rich - 48 - L.Munoz, 13. Dutchess Trembley - 48.5 - C.Marquez.

RACE 9: (4.42pm) STAKES AND LOWER HANDICAP - W I BRED 3 Y.O & OVER WINNERS AND IMPORTED 2 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $35,000 - 1300 METRES.
1. Cash Wager - 56.5 - N.Abrego, 2. Smooth Operator - 44 - L.Keizer, 3. Invincibility - 48.5 - W.Bharath, 4. Phantom Bidder - 47.5 - W.Galviz, 5. Sugar Mike - 60.5 - B.Harding, 6. Carnival Messiah - 47.5 - G.Laban.

RACE 10: (5.15pm) HANDICAP - W I BRED 3 Y.O NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES - PURSE $18,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Hatrick - 49 - C.Marquez, 2. Yaa Asantewaa - 50 - J.Stephen, 3. Phenomenon - 56.5 - B.Harding, 4. El Presidente - 48.5 - W.Bharath, 5. You’ve Got Mail - 56 - R.Jadoo, 6. Upset All - 50 - L.Keizer, 7. Twist ’N’Turn - 46.5 - R.Badal, 8. Joan Of Arc - 56.5 - N.Abrego, 9. Hollywood Star - 56 - S.Rodrigo, 10. Hannibal’s Will - 55 - K.Jadoo, 11. First Time - 50 - R R. R.Ramirez, 12. Travel Agent - 53.5 - H.Emamalie, 13. Cornerstone - 55 - R.Mangalee, 14. The Chairman - 47.5 - G.Laban.