Mark My Word humbles 'The Chief'

Orville Clarke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

The 2010 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year MARK MY WORD, one of six winners for leading jockey Dick Cardenas, won the inaugural running of the $2 million Rum Fire Invitational grade one race over 1500 metres before a bumper crowd at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Racing in the silks of champion and leading owners Elite Bloodstock Limited, the classy four-year-old colt from the stables of big-race trainer Richard Azan snapped the winning streak of the unbeaten three-year-old gelding COMMANDING CHIEF, who failed in his bid to make it six in a row as the 3-5 favourite.

Always prominent as DANCE SO SWEET (3-1) and SIR VON (11-1) swapped the lead in a star-studded field of six, MARK MY WORD (5-1) got first run on COMMANDING CHIEF approaching the home turn and held him at bay by 1³/⁴ lengths to win in the smart time of 1:31.0.

Cardenas, meanwhile, left Caymanas Park in a blaze of glory, joining a select band of jockeys to have ridden six winners - George HoSang, Charles Hussey, Trevor Simpson and the last to do so, Paul Francis on Boxing Day, 2004. United States-based Andrew Ramgeet, who won the seventh race with BLACKIE DAVIS, holds the record of eight wins in a day on November 20, 1993.

Odds-on favourite

Cardenas' winners were aboard odds-on favourite SI PUEDO for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and over Elias Haloute in the second race, the Nunes-trained 2-y-o EL PATRON at 5-1 in the $1.2 million Rum Fire Dash (third race) over 1100 metres, newcomer AQUAMOTO at 8-1, again for Nunes, in the fifth for maiden two-year-olds, BEN TEN at 5-1 for Azan in the sixth for maiden three-year-olds, the 1-4 favourite COUGWAY for Nunes in the eighth race, before putting the icing on the cake with MARK MY WORD.

As a result of yesterday's windfall, Cardenas, who started the day tied in the lead on 66 wins with Shane Ellis in the championship race, one ahead of reigning champion Omar Walker, has raced into a clear lead. He now has 72 wins - five clear of Ellis who along with Walker could only muster one winner apiece.

Jockey-turned-trainer Fitzroy 'Pumpkin' Glispie saddled three winners in JAYLEN, SAGA BOY and LIVE WIRE. If that wasn't enough, he won the Christelle Harris Fund Trophy (gimmick race) for owners, trainers, breeders and equestrian riders with 9-2 chance CAPRI.