Soca Harmony takes the 'stakes'

JASON CLIFTON

Day 12 of the 2023 racing season was contested at Santa Rosa Park, Arima on Saturday under brilliant weather conditions and a very large crowd.

The feature event of the six-race card was the Caribbean Champion Stakes, the penultimate contest in which seven top class runners faced starter Wayne Campbell. When the field was sent, it was a very level break for all, with punters in the edge of their seats.

As the runners started travelling up the back stretch Making Headlines pulled to the front and was quickly joined by Crown Prince and Just Exhale in that order.

As the runners approached 800 metres, positions started to change rapidly.

Then, suddenly, 2022 derby winner Soca Harmony started cutting into the lead with former champion rider Brian Boodramsingh asking the filly to produce more.

As the field set sail for the judges, it was a three-horse contest, but Soca Harmony, under returning champion rider Brian Boodramsingh, showed her class and opened up on her rivals by some seven- and three-quarter lengths.

Champion trainer John O'Brien saddled three winners on the day's card and Boodramsingh, who is back on home soil after success in Canada, also had a hat-trick.

Racing action will take a break for a month and resume on December 2 with the feature races being the Nursery Stakes for West Indian-bred two year olds travelling over 1,000 metres and the Stewards Cup for top-class horses going over the distance of 1,200 metres