Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

LA REINA ... with Brian Harding astride. - file

The native bred two-year-olds hold centre stage at Caymanas Park today in race No. 1 of the $9.25 million Supreme Ventures 2-Y-0 Series, the Cash Pot 'Only One For Me' Trophy over 1200 metres.

The series, promoted in conjunction with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders' Association (TOBA) and Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), will continue on Saturday, November 24, with the Pick-3 Super Challenge Trophy over 1400 metres with a purse of $2.75 million, culminating on Boxing Day, Wednesday, December 26, with the $3.25 million Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes over 1600 metres.

An added incentive is that the owner of the horse good enough to win all three races, in what is dubbed the Triple Crown series for two year olds, will receive a million-dollar bonus from the sponsors.

Supreme Ventures Limited has donated $1 million to the purse, not to mention an additional $550,000 to the remaining races on the card, with the exception of the graded stakes co-feature for the None Such Sprint Trophy, also over 1200 metres.

With the top sprinters in training present, the None Such Sprint, featuring the likes of CLOCK WORK, MUSICAL MAESTRO, RAMPAGE and LA REINA in a field of seven, is a race worth going miles to see.

FEATURE

Back to the Cash Pot feature, only six have been declared to face the starter, but it is interesting to note that the top two-year-old trainers, Wayne DaCosta and Philip Feanny, account for all the runners, each with three.

Another point of interest is that all six starters have already won since the start of the two-year-old season. Expectations would therefore be high considering the competitive nature of the race, but the manner in which the DaCosta-trained MR. SKILL demolished rivals in the August 29 running of the Keeling Memorial Cup over 1100 metres, it would take a brave punter to oppose him.

Showing tremendous speed, MR. SKILL with Dane Nelson aboard made all impressively, winning by 9 3/4 lengths from stable-companion and subsequent winner STORMIN AWAY, behind cracking splits of 22.4 and 45.3 for the first half mile.

That was MR. SKILL's second win from four starts and now going from strength, should go all the way with stable jockey Nelson again at the helm.

Since winning the Keeling Memorial Cup, MR. SKILL has been moving exceptionally well at exercise, recording bullet work after bullet work. On Sunday morning, he galloped 5-1/2 furlongs in a brisk 1:06.2, the last five in 58.4.

With his preparation complete, it's only a matter of who will be second.

MR. SKILL to thrill in this the first leg, giving DaCosta his third consecutive winner of the race,following SUPER NATURAL in 2005 and STRONG HOPE last year.

Other firm fancies on the card are the DaCosta-trained CLOCK WORK to go all the way under title-chasing apprentice Omar Walker in the None Such Sprint Trophy, LEAVE ME ALONE in the second race, MAJOR MAYER to stave off ALPHA LUPA in the fifth for open allowance horses, HAIL THE GENIUS to catch PRINCESS ZANAI in the eighth, the 2006 Derby winner RAMSOM MAN to catch BELLA IN BLOOM in the ninth and BACK POCKET under returning champion jockey Brian Harding to repeat in the 11th and final.