April 14, 2009 — Some shocking upsets were the tale of the day at the Randall "Doc" James Racetrack for Sunday's Easter races.
Two highly touted races horses from St. Thomas were shocked on the big island, and left their connections and throng of fans that made the trip with them wondering what happened. According to the pre-race buildup, these two thoroughbreds — For Men Only and the mare Bold Cleo — just needed to show up and the winner's check for the Roger Rabbit Handicap and the Easter Bonnet Stakes, respectively, would be theirs. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Gallego and Look up Look up, the upset winners in those races, about that plan. The upstarts had local fans jubilantly jumping in the stands after both races.
In the eighth race, the one-mile Roger Rabbit Handicap, Men Only Only broke on top and took the field into the backstretch with a three-quarters-of-a-length lead over Dashing Pirate and jockey Jose Lopez. Black Jack Bob with jockey Angel Vieira was four lengths off the pace, followed by Little Boy Brew with Luis Rivera in the irons. Nine lengths from the lead was the late-running Gallego, piloted by Miguel Sanchez.
As the horses approached the far turn, For Men Only was maintaining his lead over Dashing Pirate, but Black Jack Bob was closing on the leaders and was now two lengths back and closing. Little Boy Brew was fading, and Gallego was beginning his run from way back.
Black Jack Bob and Dashing Pirate collared For Men Only midway around the far turn and, when they turned for home, at the top of the stretch, the thoroughbreds were running as one across the track, to the delight of the fans in the stands. As these three battled out front coming down the stretch, a roar went up from the already excited fans as Gallego exploded from far back and was closing like an express train.
He blew by the front runners at the sixteenth-of-a-mile marker on his way to the wire to win going away by a length and a half. Black Jack Bob edged For Men Only by a nose for second, and Dashing Pirate was a fading fourth. Gallego negotiated the one-mile distance in a time of 1:38.3.
The day's other big shocker was the 1 1/16-mile fifth race of the day, the Easter Bonnet Stakes, won in a time of 1:48 by Look Up Look Up with jockey Stevie Powell in the irons. Bold Cleo, the highly touted mare of St. Thomas's Bovoni Stables, had to settle for the runner-up position in a race in which, according to fans, she should have won by just showing.
Before the race her fans could be seen around the track, looking very confident with their orange T-shirts adorned with the name of their favorite steed in big, bold black letters. Bold Cleo, for her part, is a very good mare and probably does have a slight class edge on the horses she raced, but Look Up Look Up, with a five-pound weight advantage and a confident ride from Powell, was a little better on Sunday and able to pull off the upset. Bold Cleo was ridden by Muguel Sanchez. Coming in third was Her Baby Blues with jockey Angel Viera in the irons.
The rest of the day's results:
Race1 5 F N-6
Time: 1:02.3
1. War, Christian Soto
2. Wild Mongoose, Miguel Sanchez
3. True Confession, Junior Inirio
Race 2 1 M Class I-5, Jockey
Time: 1:40.2
1. Lobito, Alberto Ojeda
2. Wiseman Choice, Miguel Sanchez
3. Mi Jesus, Elmo Barnes
Race 3 7F N-4, N-5, N-6, Jockey
Time: 1:30.2
1. Emerald Star, Christian Soto
2. Fightforyourrights, Jose Lopez
3. Prince Krystal, Jesus Guadelupe
Race 4 7 1/2 F Classes I-1, I-2 & I-3
Time: 1:32.3
1. Charlie Cho, Jose Lopez
2. Man the Torpedoes, Junior Inirio
3. Puerto Rican Emblem, Christian Soto
Race 6 1M Classes I-3 & I-4
Time: 1:40.3
1. Prayerful, Junior Inirio
2. Halos Horn, Angel Viera
3. Crafty Smile, Jesus Guadelupe
Race 7 5 F Open Race, Jockey
Time: 58.4
1. Cuyuni Waters, Jose Lopez
2. Vivid Cat, Miguel Sanchez
3. Green Sand, Angel Viera
Race 9 7 1/2 F Class I-5, Jockey
Time: 1:34.2
1. Big Kate, Christian Soto
2. Fantastic Four, Elmo Barnes
3. Tulsa Boy, Angel Viera
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