Top Of The Class faces six

TRIPLE Crown winner Top Of The Class will throw down the gauntlet to six others in the feature Allowance race on Day 18 of the Arima Race Club Season at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, Saturday. The Glen Mendez-trained son of Freshly Squeezed/Crescendo who also won the Champion Stakes last year, will have a re-match with Man Of Class whom he beat on Labour Day, Saturday last, in the 1750 metres race. And he will be up against Miss Lover Lover, Super Grey Tactical Bid, Mandela and Fantastic Story for whom a penalty was paid on Monday to get into the President’s Cup next month. There are exactly 100 horses entered for the day’s programme, reduced to nine  races because the original opener, an Optional Claiming over 1600 metres have been scrapped for lack of sufficient entries. But with 18 entrants for the W.I. Bred three-years-old maidens race over 1250 metres with a Purse of $22,000 the ARC stewards could decide to sub-divide the event and revert to a 10-race programme.

Saturday’s programme looks a very competitive one with nine speedsters entered for the 1100 metres Restricted Handicap on the turf course. And Salsa Moves looks the one to catch in the 1200 metres race for W.I. Bred three-year-olds, where he meets with Dealer’s Choice in an event in which prolific owner-trainer-breeder Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj has seven of the 11 horses in the field. Meanwhile at Santa Rosa Park yesterday morning, Fantastic Story again showed his fitness with a good gallop over 1000 metres, stopping the clock in a handy 1:06.25 seconds. And Born To Charm and Crack Shot from the Patrick de Freitas barn, together  zipped  over 600 metres in a fast 35.97 seconds. Dealer’s Choice showed she too was ready for action, skipping over 400 metres in 22.79 seconds.

Here are gallops recorded yesterday: 400 METRES - GROOMSMAN - 29.93 pacing; DEALER’S CHOICE - 22.79 good; LIFE IN RUSSIA - 28.99 pacing;   MOULIN ROUGE - 28.21 pacing; MAJESTIC - 29.93 pacing; SWEET N’ BEAUTIFUL - 29.92 pacing; BALTHAZAR - 29.99 pacing; COPY CAT - 26.60 handy; JAVA IN STYLE - 27.90 pacing; FAST COMPANY - 29.94 pacing; ADORING RUBY - 29.99 pacing; REDOUBLED - 26.86 handy; YASHODA - 29.90 pcing; MUCHO TEMPO - 29.63 pacing; GOLD CONVEYOR - 29.92 pacing; PREFFERED SHARE - 28.99 pacing; MORGAN HERITAGE - 29.86 pacing; MISTER HYPOCRIT - 29.92 pacing; BOLD FAPP - 29.50 pacing; LE FABULEUX DANSUR - 29.01 pacing; SUNSET - 29.92 pacing (boxes).
600 METRES - EL GUERROUJ - 44.98 pacing; RETURN TO GLORY - 40.40 handy; LAURA’S BOY - 43.99 pacing; JOINT VENTURE - 44.99 pacing; TAKEOVER - 44.33 pacing; BORN TO CHARM, CRACK SHOT - 35.97 good; BAJAN CONNECTION - 44.98 pacing; REBEL MUSIC - 44.99 pacing; ROYAL MISS - 43.25 pacing; CHIEF OF STAFF - 44.73 pacing.
800 METRES - EVIL KNEEVLE - 59.45 pacing; MAGEN - 59.54 - pacing; COTONOU - 57.63 pacing; HONOR BOUND - 59.63 pacing; DEAD SURE - 56.33 pacing.
1000 METRES - FANTASTIC STORY - 1:06.25 handy; FRENCH ACADEMY - 1:14.67 pacing; CITY OF LIGHTS - 1:10.98 pacing.
1200 METRES - MUSIC MAN - 1:25.09 pacing; POLITICS - 1:22.09 handy.

Here are the runners, riders and weights for Saturday’s Day 18 programme:
RACE 1: (12.50 PM) - W.I. BRED 4 Y.O. & OVER NON-WINNERS OF FOUR RACES - PURSE: $20,000 - 1200 METRES .
1. Tracel Agent 53.5 N Abrego; 2. First Time 51.5 S Rodrigo; 3. Tea Time Doc 52.5 W Galviz; 4. Tora Bora 51.5 B Harding; 5. Cornerstone 50.5 C Marquez; 6. Due Dilligence 50.5 K Bissoon; 7. Hatrick 54.5 S Rodrigo; 8. Hyarima 52.5 G Laban.
RACE 2: (1.28 PM) - W.I. BRED 3 Y.O. - PURSE: $22,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Sweet N’ Beautiful 51.5 C Marquez; 2. All Set For Battle 52.5 C Jadoo; 3. Majestic 54.5 R Ramirez; 4. Salsa Moves 51.5 S Rodrigo; 5. Dealer’s Choice 54.5 J Arneaud; 6. Laura’s Boy 53.5 K Chandler; 7. Born To Charm 53.5 R Rajkumar; 8. Java In Style 52.5 R Thomas; 9. Seaham Harbour 50.5 R Thomas; 10. Music Man 52.5 R Badal; 11. Second Chances 53.5 R Jadoo.
RACE 3: (2.05 PM) - 3 Y.O. & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $10,000-$8,500 - PURSE $18,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Female Bandit 54.5 K Jadoo; 2. Return To Glory 49.5 G Laban; 3. Politics 51.5 W Galviz; 4. Indian Decision 55.5 B Harding; 5. Copy Cat 56.5 K Chandler; 6. Creme Caramel 54.5 R Rajkumar; 7. Francesca 53.5 N Abrego; 8. Redoubled 50.5 R Jadoo; 9. Magen 53.5 R Rajkumar; 10. Bajan Connection 50.5 S Rodrigo.
RACE 4: (2.42 PM) - RESTRICTED HANDICAP - PURSE: $21,000 - 1100 METRES (TURF).
1. Living In Hope 54.5 R Rajkumar; 2. Sure Ting 51.5 S Rodrigo; 3. Honor Bound 54.5 W Galviz; 4. Rhythm Divine 51.5 J Arneaud; 5. You’ve Got Mail 45.5 G Laban; 6. Java Takeover 50 R Thomas; 7. Golden Honour 53.5 N Abrego; 8. Sure Wager 50.5 R Jadoo; 9. Bandinthong 57.5 J Stephen.
RACE 5: (3.20 PM) - 3 Y.O. & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $6,000 - $5,000 - PURSE: $14,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. El Guerrouj 53.5 G Laban; 2. Storming Wind 52.5 K Bissoon; 3. Justice 51.5 S Rodrigo; 4. Spin N’ Squeeze 43.5 W Galviz; 5. Alibi Ike 55.5 B Harding; 6. Yankee Eagle 51.5 J Arneaud; 7. Kay-Gee-Bee 50.5 J Payano; 8. Mir On Fire 50.5 R Thomas; 9. Cash Reward 51.5 R Singh; 10. Daurian 51.5 R Mangalee; 11. Erin Dancer 48.5 R Rajkumar; 12. Mystile 48.5 R Chadee; 13. Badpayjamesee 53.5 F Razack; 14. Champagne Wager 53.5 N Abrego.
RACE 6: (3.57 PM) - IMPORTED 3 Y.O. & OVER MAIDENS - PURSE: $21,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. Twice The Jet 49.5 R Thomas; 2. Not This Time 53.5 R Sigh; 3. Life In The Sky 52.5 R Jadoo; 4. Royal Miss 52.5 B Harding; 5. Miss Real Quiet 50.5 S Rodrigo; 6. Premier Attraction 53.5 G Laban; 7. Stonebright 52.5 R Badal; 8. Rebel Music 55.5 N Abrego; 9. Ghost Meadow 54.5 F Razack; 10. Ooze 53.5 W Galviz.
RACE 7: (4.34 PM) - W.I. BRED 3 Y.O. MAIDENS - PURSE $22,000 - 1350 METRES.
1. Samana Song 51.5 R Singh; 2. JD’S Express 51.5 D Gaff; 3. Evil Kneevle (Res. 2) 47.5 J Payano; 4. Adoring Ruby 53.5 R Rajkumar; 5. Ice Follies 51.5 S Rodrigo; 6. Atlantic Breeze 51.5 W Galviz; 7. Flying Eagle (Res 1) 45.5 N Abr4ego; 8. Attitude 56.5 B Harding; 9. Chief Of Staff 56.5 F Razack; 10. Nobleman 54.5 R Mangalee; 11. Mister Hyupocrit 53.5 R Badal; 12. Wsharp 56.5 G Laban; 13. Big Game Hunter 53.5 R Thomas; 14. Danzc With Class 51.5 R Jadoo; 15. Somebody 52.5 K Bissoon; 16. Perfect gem 45.5 N Abrego;  17. Golden Eye 54.5 R Ramirez; 18. Crack Shot 56.5 R Mangalee.
RACE 8: (5.10 PM) - ALLOWANCE - PURSE: $26,000 - 1750 METRES.
1. Top Of The Class 53.5 W Galviz; 2. Miss Lover Lover 54.5 R Rajkumar; 3. Man Of Class 53.5 S Rodrigo; 4. Super Grey 54.5 R Jadoo; 5. Fantastic Story 44.5 G Laban; 6. Mandela 45.5 R Thomas; 7. Tactical Bid 51.5 B Harding.
RACE 9: (5.40 PM) - 3 Y.O. & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING - $14,000 - $11,000 - PURSE: $19,000 - 1600 METRES (TURF).
1. Poetry 54.5 R Rajkumar; 2. Isle Be There 53.5 R Ramirez; 3. Bold Fapp 51.5 S Rodrigo; 4. City Of Lights 51.5 J Arneaud; 5. Life In Russia 52.5 B Harding; 6. Preffered Share56.5 B Harding; 7. Groomsman 52.5 R Mangalee; 8. Balthazar 49.5 W Galviz; 9. Joint Venture 49.5 R Thomas; 10. Royal Red 53.5 G Laban; 11. Entertainer (Res 1) 45.5 J Payano; 12. New Star 53.5 N Abrego; 13. Sou Sou Moni 50.5 R Jadoo.