Fri | Jul 3, 2026

Heart of Gold ready to run

Published:Saturday | May 22, 2010 | 12:00 AM
GO MY ROBIN (right) with female jockey Georgina Sergeon aboard, getting the better of BELOW THE WAIST (Wesley Henry) in the final stages of the Bonnie Blue Flag Trophy, a grade-one feature over 1820 metres, at Caymanas Park last Saturday. Sergeon won aboard GO MY ROBIN for the third time this season. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The two-day Labour weekend racing carnival gets under way at Caymanas Park today with a competitive-looking nine-race programme featuring two trophy races.

Racing continues on Monday (Labour Day) with a 12-race programme featuring the 70th running of the Lotto Classic for the Governor's Cup over 2000 metres, to be contested by a maximum field of 16 native bred three-year-olds.

Today's programme features race No. 5 in the CTL Claiming Series ($250,000 and less) over the straight five course and the 3-y-o maiden special for the Percival Martin Memorial Cup again over the straight. Both races, however, pale in comparison to the 3-y-o and up open-allowance race over 1820 metres, in which the respective 1000 and 2000 Guineas winners AL FOUZIA and MARK MY WORD prep for the upcoming Derby.

This indeed is the race of the day as in addition to the two three-year-olds, others such as last year's Superstakes winner HOMBRE, HEART OF GOLD, THE GUV, THE BOMBER and last Saturday's Bonnie Blue Flag grade-one course winner GO MY ROBIN makes it a race going miles to see.

It will more than likely come down to the trio of HOMBRE, HEART OF GOLD and MARK MY WORD.

The most interesting entry is of course the Richard Azan-trained MARK MY WORD, who scored a 16-1 upset in the April 5 2000 Guineas over 1600 metres to establish himself as a leading contender for the June 12 Derby.

The three-year-old son of Market Rally will really have to run in order to beat seasoned campaigners such as HOMBRE and HEART OF GOLD. But he's at a stage of rapid improvement and, having worked well, should make a race of it with 53.0kg.

The Noel Ennevor-trained HOMBRE beat the best distance horses in the country last November when scoring a shock victory in the ADL Superstakes over 2000 metres and, although failing to follow up in three subsequent races, has come down sufficiently in the weights with 53.0kg to fight this out successfully. The five year-old gelding will have the services of top apprentice Doushane Gordon, who claims 2.0kg.

While having every respect for HOMBRE, preference is for HEART OF GOLD who, following her near miss against THE GUV in the Fontainbleu Trophy over 1500 metres on April 17, has worked brilliantly in preparation for the race.

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta has left no stone unturned to present the five-year-old daughter of Natural Selection - Wild Heart razor sharp. HEART OF GOLD holds a fast-time win over this trip on February 27 and coming in with a mere 49.0kg and former champion jockey Wesley Henry aboard is definitely the pick of the weights.

On a day when the Pick-9 could reach $12 million after eluding punters for the past eight racedays, other firm fancies on the card are ALLORA in the 3rd race, RUSSIAN COMMANDER in the 4th, REGIONAL CHARMER 5th and NASATOL in the CTL Claiming Series.