Arts And Lovers among ‘Horse of Year’ nominees

ARTS AND LOVERS and Sugar Mike are among a list of four horses nominated for “Horse of the Year” honours at the 2004 Jetsam Awards function to be held at Ballroom, at the Hilton Trinidad Hotel, on January 21. The top juvenile of last season and the American bred six-year-old and present title holder were nominated for the top equine award along with Miss Lover Lover and Invincibility. Arts And Lovers which was bred locally by W G Montague Scott at the Poon Tip Stud Farm, Santa Cruz, also won nomination for top West Indian-bred two-year-old filly. This Harold Chadee-owned and trained daughter of Gilgamesh/ Sizzling, dominated her age group, winning five of her six starts and finished a short-head runner-up to Luann’s Passion in her only failed attempt at 1200 metres. Luann’s Passion which checked her winning streak will be Arts And Lovers’ sole opponent in the fillies category.

Sugar Mike, last year’s winner of the Horse of the Year title top ahead of triple crown winner Top Of The Class, scoring nine victories from ten starts, will be seeking a double. The six-year-old horse owned by Bertwin Samlalsingh was not as dominant as the previous year, but has been saddled with the maximum weight in most of his races. Sugar Mike, a son of Ponche/No Sugar who started the season with a poor showing in the Sandy Lane Gold Cup at the Garrison Savannah in Barbados, bounced back to visit the charmed circle on four occasions from seven starts at home. And all his victories were scored with the maximum impost of 60.5 kilos. Miss Lover Lover is named among the nominees for winning the Sagicor Independence Cup Trophy and finishing runner-up in the Trintrac Stewards Cup.

This five-year-old mare sired by Friendly Lover out of the mare Winning Spurs had six wins and four placed finishes from 13 starts last season for earnings of $70,000. Invincibility owned by Junior Sammy and now trained by Jack Debideen had a good early season. The five-year-old had three victories and five placings from nine starts. The Night Man which won many admirers when scampering away from his field to win the Guardian Life St James Stakes, his only start,  was nominated for the top juvenile colt/gelding award. The Cyril “Patch” Arneaud-trained colt which cost $320,000, the sales topper at the 2003 Carib Stud Farm Association Yearlings Sales will vie for honours in his category with Lil Maniram My Boy and Crown Point.

French Academy, Melanie My Love and the Jamaican-bred Latonia, who finished second in last year’s the Royal Oak Derby behind Mucho Tempo, will contest the West Indian bred three-year-old category for fillies, and Mucho Tempo, Uram and Salsa Moves will seek honours among the colts and geldings. Man Of Class, Salsa Moves and Phantom Menace are the trio nominated in the West Indian-bred sprinters category, while Top Of The Class, stablemate Mucho Tempo and the Jamaican-bred Uram won nominations as West Indian-bred stayers. Trintrac Stewards Cup winner Cash Wager, Invincibility and Sugar Mike are up for the imported sprinter award, while Sugar Mike, Miss Lover and Daredevil Hero will contest the imported stayers title. Sugar Mike, Cash Wager and Miss Lover Lover will vie for the Florida-bred prize. This award is donated anually by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association.

Following are the categories and nominees: 
HORSE OF THE YEAR - SUGAR MIKE, ARTS AND LOVERS, MISS LOVER LOVER, INVINCIBILITY.
WI-BRED 2 Y.O FILLIES - ARTS AND LOVERS, LUANN’S PASSION.
WI-BRED 2 Y.O COLTS/GELDINGS - THE NIGHT MAN,  LIL MANIRAM MY BOY, CROWN POINT.
WI-BRED 3 Y.O FILLIES - FRENCH ACADEMY, MELANIE MY LOVE,  LATONIA.
WI-BRED 3 Y.O COLTS/GELDINGS - MUCHO TEMPO, URAM,  SALSA MOVES.
WI-BRED SPRINTER - MAN OF CLASS, SALSA MOVES, PHANTOM MENACE.
WI-BRED STAYER - TOP OF THE CLASS, MUCHO TEMPO, URAM.
IMPORTED SPRINTER - CASH WAGER, INVINCIBILITY, SUGAR MIKE.
IMPORTED STAYER - SUGAR MIKE, MISS LOVER LOVER,  DAREDEVIL HERO.
FLORIDA-BRED HORSE - SUGAR MIKE, CASH WAGER, MISS LOVER LOVER.