Thomas, Nunes hold on to leads

Anthony Thomas and Anthony Nunes extended their respective leads atop the jockeys’ and trainers’ standings at Caymanas Park yesterday, thwarting the best efforts of challengers Dane Nelson and Wayne DaCosta.

Thomas, who started the afternoon leading Nelson by a diminishing five winners, down from 15 two months prior, rode a three-timer whereas his persistent rival booted home 6-1 chance GOD OF LOVE to upstage DaCosta’s hot favourite, SIR ALTON, who finished down the track in the ninth event.

Thomas’ three-timer included a hard-fought seven-and-a-half-furlong victory with Gary Subratie’s Jamaica Derby third-place runner, ANOTHER AFFAIR, outbattling Nelson astride Nunes’ ONEOFAKIND, who had finished fourth in the derby.

The leading rider, who is now seven clear of Nelson, had earlier landed the fifth event with QUANTUM DANCER before returning to close the 10-race card at a mile with DaCosta’s Oaks winner from last season, PRINCESS ANNIE, the 3-5 favourite among $850,000 claimers.

Meanwhile, Nunes stretched his stakes lead over DaCosta by sweeping the first three places in the $980,000 Princess Popstar trophy race for two-year-olds at five and a half furlongs.

Nunes had started the weekend a little under $1 million clear of his rival. On Friday, they won a race apiece, amid other minor placings, to share the spoils on the opening day of back-to-back meets.

In the Princess Popstar, Nunes’ trio of American-bred GO DEH GIRL, HOIST THE MAST and 1-2 favourite, FURTHER AND BEYOND, raged a battle royal on the lead in fast splits, separating themselves from the other three runners.

FURTHER AND BEYOND first threw in the towel in the stretch run with Nelson before Omar Walker staged a stirring rally along the rail astride GO DEH GIRL to outfinish Dick Cardenas aboard HOIST THE MAST, winning by a neck in 1:06.1.

Racing continues at Caymanas Park on Saturday.