Stroke of Luck stifles Just Exhale to win Derby

STROKE OF Luck, ridden by Brian Boodramsingh, got the better of favourite Just Exhale, with Nela Mohammed aboard, to win the Carib Brewery Trinidad Derby on a sloppy track at the Santa Rosa Park, Arima on Saturday.

Just Exhale, who won the Guineas last month, was the 6-5 favourite, while Stroke of Luck entered the race with odds of 2-1.

Super Bird flew out of the gates to take the early lead, but Patta Patta took control on the first bend, in the 2,000-metre race, with Super Bird and Arsalan trailing.

However, Stroke of Luck and Just Exhale gathered momentum with 600 metres to go and slowly caught up with the Patta Patta, who struggled to keep up with the pace.

On the last turn, Stroke of Luck held a slim advantage over Just Exhale, but the lead slowly widened as the John O’Brien-trained three-year-old was not going to be denied as he completed the distance in two minutes 8.4 seconds.

Boodramsingh and Sven Balroop were the most successful jockeys on Saturday, with two victories apiece, while O’Brien was the leading trainer with two wins.