Triple Account stuns 'em

Orville Clarke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

The veteran campaigner, TRIPLE ACCOUNT, turned in another giant-killing performance at Caymanas Park yesterday in winning the open allowance straight five race in a thrilling finish, lowering the colours of the howling 1-9 favourite, DOUBLE THE HONEY.

Unfancied at odds of 13-1 in a field of seven, the nine-year-old bay horse, who is something of a specialist over the straight, powered home by a neck from the Wayne DaCosta-trained COMMANDER ZERO (9-2), who in turn had a head to spare over his highly thought of stable companion, DOUBLE THE HONEY, in third.

COMMANDER ZERO, drawn on the outside of the field, made most. He galloped on to the main track with topweight DOUBLE THE HONEY, TRIPLE ACCOUNT and BRASH & SASSY in close contention, but to the surprise of everyone, DOUBLE THE HONEY, under champion jockey Omar Walker, began to labour in mid-track a furlong out and it was left to the very game TRIPLE ACCOUNT to charge through in the last furlong for a narrow win.

First victory

By Top Account out of Triple Top, TRIPLE ACCOUNT was notching his first victory since scoring back-to-back wins over the straight in October and December of last year, including a 29-1 upset in the G.A. 'Sarge' Bucknor Memorial Cup.

Owner/trainer Raymond Townsend was pleasantly surprised that TRIPLE ACCOUNT humbled one of the rising stars of the local turf in DOUBLE THE HONEY, who had won six of his seven races previously.

"This is a horse who has gotten better with age and he never ceases to amaze me," said Townsend.

"People tend to underrate him, but when he decides to give it his all, few horses can match his courage. And he showed that in no uncertain manner today by winning in a three-way photo finish," he added.

Vocal assistant-trainer, Donovan 'Quinty' Barrett, who thinks the world of TRIPLE ACCOUNT, disclosed: "Him no sleep from week and mi know him was gwine kick them pot off a fire."