FUNCAANDUN, 2024 Mouttet Mile winner and third behind RIDEALLDAY in last year’s race, proved his superiority down in class among open-allowance runners by outfinishing fellow American SUPERNATURAL POWER in yesterday’s Alexander Hamilton Memorial at seven furlongs.
The lone grade-one winner in the five-horse line-up, FUNCAANDUN got a bye from the conditions book to face grade-two horses on account of not winning a grade-one race in his last four tries, despite proving himself the country’s third-best horse in December’s Mouttet Mile.
Breaking sharply on the lead with Robert Halledeen, FUNCAANDUN’s job was made easier by 2-5 favourite SUPERNATURAL POWER spotting the field several lengths, fuddling shortly after the break, fitted with unfamiliar blinkers, replacing visor and figure-eight in which she had placed fourth in the Mouttet Mile.
Midway the backstretch, outsider ZULU WARRIOR took over from FUNCAANDUN, who was soon further relegated by WALL STREET TRADER and SUPERNATURAL POWER recovering from the rear.
SUPERNATURAL POWER kicked a half-mile out but had WALL STREET TRADER for company while ZULU WARRIOR backed out and Halledeen got to work aboard FUNCAANDUN, hustling the five-year-old to go at the leaders.
Straightening with pesky WALL STREET TRADER rallying on her inside along the rail, SUPERNATURAL POWER soon faced a twin challenge, FUNCAANDUN, who mended rapidly under Halledeen to launch his bid coming off the turn.
SUPERNATURAL POWER got rid of WALL STREET TRADER a furlong and a half out but FUNCAANDUN, whose rapid finishing won him the 2024 Mouttet Mile and back-to-back open-allowance races last summer, drew level with the four-year-old a furlong out, Halledeen putting away his whip to avoid his mount herding the filly towards the rail.
Similarly, Raddesh Roman, who had his whip in his left hand, at first resisted the temptation to strike SUPERNATURAL POWER but gave in at almost the last hop, a move which was reciprocated by Halledeen, resulting in both horses bumping as they flashed past the winning post, triggering a stewards’ inquiry and jockey’s objection, which was overruled.
FUNCAANDUN won by a head at odds of 5-2, handing Halledeen and champion trainer Jason DaCosta their second winner on the 10-race card after landing the third with three-year-old American debutant, THE TEACHA, who made all as the 2-5 favourite at five and a half furlongs.
Claiming rider Garvin Harris narrowly missed a hat trick of wins, losing the fifth by a half-length aboard 12-1 chance TITAN TEMPO, catching 34-1 upsetter BLOOD MOON with every stride at five furlongs straight, before returning to land the sixth and seventh astride ABSOLUTE BLUE and ROMAN PRINCESS, respectively.
For the second consecutive meet, Track and Pools tipster Jimmie spotted a stunning outsider in the closing event after naming 41-1 shocker RAGING RIVER as outsider of the day last Saturday.
Jimmie’s selection in the 10th, PROUDEST VISION won at odds of 21-1 for trainer Carlton Cunningham, splitting speedsters DARK SWAN and LAST POSSESSION inside the final half-furlong at five furlongs round, triggering a Reggae 6 carryover of $4.5m to this afternoon’s 10-race card, paying $45,730 on five of six winners.
This afternoon’s mandatory payout on the Early 5-Star, races four to eight, opens with a $767,099 carryover and $1.57m single-winner bonus.
