Fantastic Boy, center and Walley, left, battle in the early stages of their 7 Furlong feature

Three exciting 7 Furlong Horse races at Little A

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

Horse racing fans were treated to three exciting 7 furlong races and two races over six furlongs at the Little A Race Track in Sea Cows Bay on Easter Sunday.

The first of the 7 Furlong races with a $2100 purse produced some of the most excitement and drama. While Fabulous Cherokee, who ran from the rail and Camelo Twist, who ran from the third position simultaneously paraded in the winners circle, officials needed five minutes to review the photo finish and decide the winner after a blanket finish between four horses.

Rushing Away was the early leader, before Fabulous Cherokee took the lead heading into the final two furlongs. As they rounded the final turn, everyone swung wide and headed for home. Camelo Twist who was at the back of the pack on the back stretch, stayed wide right and nosed out Fabulous Cherokee at the wire to win in 1:34-4/5.

“This race was a nice race. He broke good and everything happened the way it was supposed to be,” said a surprised Edgar Parado. “We had Fabulous Cherokee to win the race, but Camelo Twist ran good and made it to the finish line. He was in fourth place and this is a drive by. This is his second win on a straight and he will be here again.”

In the second of the 7s, Purple Ruckass was the early leader in the $2500 race, with To Deposit Only, Livermore Run and Fantastic Boy, after Lulu’s Law and Air Tight Annie—who died in transit to Tortola—were scratched. Livermore Run took over at the top of the back stretch as Fantastic Boy began positioning for the stretch run then ran past Livermore Run to win in 1:33 flat.

Roy ‘Yellow Man’ Garroway said they knew Livermore Run would have made an early move. “We decided to sit back and wait, then when we got the right opportunity to go for it,” he explained. “That’s what he did. He lost in his last outing in St. Thomas and this boosts him a little but. Fantastic Boy has been inconsistent, but this is a good performance.”

In Sunday’s final 7 Furlongs, a $3500 feature, the victory was not decided until the last furlong. Following his third place finish at the Clinton E. Phipps track in St. Thomas during his last outing, Classic Halo returned to the victory stand by running past Walley

Classic Halo came off the pace to win in 1 minute 33-2/5. Supremacy followed Walley, with St. Thomas’ Boch One bringing up the rear. “We were really seeing how he would run today,” said Ashley ‘Feather’ Warner. “We expected the biggest challenge from Supremacy because, it’s a seven furlong. I was expecting him to be right there but, he wasn’t any competition. Walley, he just got lucky in St. Thomas because the jockey didn’t ride his race.”

The card opened with St. Thomas’ Beruit making a successful victorious first appearance over six furlongs in a race that had $1700 at stake, and recorded a time of 1:19-2/5. Carlos P placed second, followed by Mountain Man and Go Go Girl. World of Sea from St. Thomas did not start.

St. Thomas’ Cyber Spice showed the way before fading to fifth in the second of two six furlong sprint, which had $1900 in prizes.

Finny took the lead as they came to the back stretch then extended his lead, while the field passed the tiring Cyber Spice. Finny came home in 1:18-4/5. Arabian Dinner held off Shine for second, while Peanut Prospect who trailed the field from the start, placed fourth ahead of Cyber Spice. Puerto Rico’s Storm Red scheduled to make his BVI debut, was scratched.