Sugar Mike sweetens up for Durant race

SUGAR MIKE sounded a warning that he is coming back to his best with another sparkling display on the exercise course at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday morning. The Grant Lourenco inmate was slightly behind the clock in his first open gallop with Fantastic Story and Invincibility over 1200 metres on Sunday, beaten for early speed and at the end of the spin, in which the pair recorded 1:10.74 seconds, and for which he was given a timing of 1:11.50. But the timing of that gallop by his astute trainer looked right on target and seemed to have blown away the cobwebs leading up to his engagement in the Eric “Colt” Durant Memorial Handicap on Arrival Day. He returned yesterday, with raceday rider Brian Harding astride to again match strides with Invincibility, and reversed the placings with his younger stablemate and apprentice Sheldon Rodrigo in another heated exchange over 1000 in a stunning 58.57 seconds.

The pair was being steadied around both turns after the winning pole and when they opened up in the backstretch, raced as one until straightening up for the stretch run, when they were punched out to the finish line. Twice Infallible showed up the stable’s rich vein of form by posting a fiery 35.01 seconds over the last 600 metres of the course. Chief Of Staff, who finished runner-up to Sou Sou Moni in a maiden event on Saturday last, showed he is going the right way with a 36.43 seconds timing for the same distance, while Maid Of Honour was a shade slower in 36.69. Atlantic Breeze and Smart And Lucky were others to have attained “good” in the remarks column of the Arima Race Club official clockers report yesterday. Atlantic Breezed covered her 800 metres trip in 50.44 seconds and her American-bred stablemate was clocked in 50.21.

Gallops recorded yesterday: 400 METRES: Ichiban - 24.69, good; Explosive Suzie - 27.65, handily; Bound To Dot Com, E-Mail, and Cleopatra - 25.56, handily; Living in Hope - 29.98, pacing; Super Grey - 29.19, pacing; Aticka - 29.81, pacing.
600 METRES: Twice Infallible - 35.01, good; Chief Of Staff - 36.43, good; Maid Of Honour - 36.69, good; Outswinger - 44.96, pacing; Ex How About Me - 43.96, pacing; Trini To D Bone and Evil Kneevle - 44.98, pacing; Hatrick - 42.33, pacing; Danzc With Class - 44.23, pacing; Pure Delight - 40.09, handily; Kazai and Getting Something - 43.67, pacing; Yashoda - 43.99, pacing.
800 METRES: Smart And Lucky - 50.21, good; Atlantic Breeze - 50.44, good; Synergy - 54.89, handily; Peace Of Mind - 58.42, pacing; Honour Bound - 54.11, handily; Comanchero - 57.39, pacing.
1000 METRES: Sugar Mike and Invincibility - 58.57, good; Miss Real Quiet - 1:04.29, handily; Dauntless Hero - 1:08.87, handily; Takeover - 1:08.51, handily; Golden Honour and Murphy’s Law - 1:06.91, handily; Life In Russia and Rebel Music - 1:09.00, handily; Return To Glory - 1:08.92, handily; Perfect Gem - 1:08.32, handily; Phantom Bidder - 1:11.02, easy; Hundred Percent - 1:12.50, pacing; Samana Song - 1:10.70, pacing; Ghost Meadow - 1:14.81, pacing; Mystile - 1:12.37, pacing; Over And Above - 1:11.83, pacing.
1200 METRES: French Academy - 1:17.68, handily; Sure Wager - 1:17.99, handily; Alert The Ship - 1:24.62, pacing; Ocean Turf - 1:24.72, pacing; Seaham Harbour - 1:26.01, pacing.
1400 METRES: Dottie’s Way - 1:35.73, handily.