Suckoo on fire at Caymanas Park

CLAIMING rider Tajay Suckoo yesterday notched his sixth winner for the weekend aboard Anthony Nunes’ Canadian, MISS GROVE, who chased down 1-2 favourite AMERICAN AVIATOR in division one of the Hubert ‘Chinna’ Bartley Memorial at seven furlongs, winning the co-feature in 1:25.3 by a length and three-quarter over the United States-bred speedster.

A daughter of 2016 Canadian champion colt, Amis Gizmo, a winner of seven stakes races including the Ontario Derby and Prince of Wales Stakes, MISS GROVE, owned by Hubert Kerr, was among Canadian fillies imported by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association of Jamaica under the Jamaica Racing Commission’s Thoroughbred Stimulus Fund to help improve the island’s racing and breeding stock.

Champion trainer Jason DaCosta's pair of AMERICAN AVIATOR and I DREAM AGAIN, who won last year’s Jamaica Derby and St Leger, were expected to dominate the divided co-feature, but were both humbled.

Peter-John Parsard’s BOSS MAN ran an eye-popping 1:23.4, almost two seconds faster than MISS GROVE, to dismiss I DREAM AGAIN coming off the home turn before cruising in under Dane Dawkins in division two, closing the 10-race card, which also featured the E Anthony Subratie Trophy won by Nunes’ DUTCHESS closing from off the pace with Omar Walker at six furlongs.

Meanwhile, the Reggae 6 built into a crescendo, starting with a hat-trick of winning favourites - DELTA GAMMA, CRYPTOGIRL and DESIGN DIVA - before erupting LUCKY PAPA (4-1), BLOOD MOON (2-1) and GULFSTREAM CAT (7-1) for a $280,061 mandatory payout.

DELTA GAMMA and CRYPTOGIRL were both first-choice selections in STAR Sports’ ‘Reggae 6 Snaps’ in addition to the GULFSTREAM CAT-CIVIC ILLUSION exacta, which returned $1,478 for a $100 ticket.

Suckoo, who opened Saturday’s $88,629 Reggae 6 with NOBLE SOVEREIGN on way to three wins, booted home two of Sunday’s first three winners, DELTA GAMMA in the first and DESIGN DIVA in the third before closing his three-timer with MISS GROVE.

July’s racing opens with Saturday’s St Leger followed by the month’s first Sunday meet.