Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
WITH the Reggae Trophy straight five feature for top class horses having been abandoned due to insufficient entries, the two-year-olds take the spotlight at Caymanas Park today in the $500,000 Three Way Drop Pan Stakes/Yearling Sales Race No. 2 over 1200 metres.
The Restricted Allowance I contest is sponsored by the Jamaica Lottery Company Limited under its newly introduced Three Way Drop Pan Lotto. Also on the nine-race programme is the Restricted Allowance II for the Flossie McNeil Memorial Cup (non winners of two) over 1200 metres for native bred three-year-old fillies.
Seven native bred two-year-olds have been declared for the Yearling Sales Series Race No. 2, but from all indications it should come down to a straight fight between THE VICE, who is unbeaten in his only race to date, and the more experienced DANCE DIXIE who has won five races by the combined margin of 41 1/2 lengths from six starts.
DANCE DIXIE suffered his only defeat in the million dollar Hi-Pro Stables Choice Feeds Trophy over this trip, a race in which he chased the winner A KING IS BORN to the last furlong and was only beaten for second by PITTACUS in the closing stages when eased by Charles Hussey.
Next time out in the $1.25 million Breeders' Stakes on November 9, DANCE DIXIE gave no end of problems to enter the starting gate and was disqualified by the starter. Since then the son of Dixie Dancer out of Forsaken has passed his gate test in the mornings and having worked brilliantly for this race, will be coming with blood in his eyes.
Once settling down at the start, DANCE DIXIE will not go down easily under customary pilot, Charles Hussey.
THE VICE, however, was so impressive on his debut over 1100 metres on November 2, winning by nine lengths from the Hussey-trained TO SIR WITH LOVE in the smart time of 1:06.2 behind splits of 23.2, 46.3, that he could prove the better of the two.
From the stables of champion trainer Philip Feanny, the grey colt by Al's River Cat out of The Editor continues to impress at exercise, is even better for that initial experience and in receipt of 2.0kg from DANCE DIXIE, he catches my fancy. Leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths, who rode his 1450th winner last Saturday, again has the ride.
Other firm fancies are the Feanny-trained SEXY (Griffiths) to stave off CLASSY TANYA and ZEALOT in the Flossie McNeil Memorial Cup, BIG BELLY SAM to complete the hat-trick at the expense of TEMPUS FUGIT in the 2nd (apprentice race), recent winner LADY WAHEEDA to repeat in the second apprentice race, FIASCO to stave off DEBONAIR in the 5th and KING RICHARD to win the closing circular nine race at the expense of THE WHITE WITCH and CHAPSIE.
