Brimstone Tough, Fabulous Cherokee and Smooth Legend on

the first turn of their 7 Furlong race

Actspectation edges Classic Halo for half length victory

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

Actspectation recorded his narrowest victory since racing to a dead heat with Hezacateye last year, when he held off the charge of Classic Halo in Sunday’s one-mile feature race for Class A and B horses at the Little A. Race Track in Sea Cows Bay.

Act broke the gate with the early lead, before Classic Halo began matching him stride for stride throughout the race, but went wide on the final curve before hitting the home stretch. Act recorded a winning time of 1 minute 47-1/5. Walley placed third with Seattle Chief taking fourth. Supremacy was scratched.

“My concern is that he always come out a sound horse and be ready for the next mount,” Actspectation’s owner Bob Hodge explained when asked about the close race. “Over the past years, he hasn’t been showing any problems as if he’s ailing at all. He’s a gelding, so the only thing I can do is to run him until he’s not fit to run anymore.”

Jockey Mike Thomas said Classic Halo was going in and out during the race. “Every time we hit the turn, I didn’t have as much control as I would have liked with the bit he had,” Thomas pointed out. “It might have cost me a couple lengths when he went wide coming home, but, once we go back and fix it, it will be no problem. Another shot, and we’ll beat him.”

Classic Halo’s performance delighted Roy ‘Yellow Man’ Garroway of the Bad Boys Stables. “Classic actually ran a better race than I thought he would. He stuck in and he fought,” Garroway said. “We told the jockey to ride the horse just how he felt.”

The other one mile race saw Fantastic Boy and Livermore Run engaged in a classic duel after Prickle Whip Charles scratched from the race for Class B horses. Fantastic Boy nosed out Livermore Run, to win in 1:50-3/5.

The card opened with Mountain Man beating Go Go Girl, Lady Biggie, and Quaker Rat over 6 Furlongs, which he covered in 1:20-3/5. In the other six furlong race for Class C horses, Purple Ruckass held off To Deposit Only, Rushing Away, Cyber Spice and LuLu’s Law, to win in 1:18-3/5.

In the first of two 7 Furlong races for Class D and E horses, St. Thomas’ Brimstone Tough who was entered in the second six furlong race, made his Tortola debut by joining Smooth Legend, Carlos P and Fabulous Cherokee. Brimstone Tough took the lead from the gate while Carlos P was left in the gate but caught the rest of the field by the first furlong. Brimstone Tough held the lead heading into the backstretch, before being passed by Fabulous Cherokee just before two furlongs left, to win in 1:33-1/5 as Brimstone Tough hanged on for second place followed by Smooth Legend and Carlos P.

The second 7 furlong race saw Shine showing the way before Camelo Twist took control midway through the race to win by three lengths over Finny of St. Thomas, in 1:34-2/5. Shine was third with Arabian Dinner in tow.

BVI Horse Owners Association president Violet “Letty” Hodge said the first race went very well. There were noticeable changes including color coding of horses, trainers, groomsmen and owners. “The horses and the owners from St. Thomas are really glad about the changes we’ve made and they are working with us,” Hodge said. “I sat down with the St. Thomas Racing Secretary Wayne Cooke and we discussed a few things that I think will be favorable for us, if we continue this relationship with St. Thomas. They agree with the rules we’ve made up.”

Since addressing the conditions at the stables, Hodge said she has been well supported by owners and racing enthusiasts. “Everyone has been saying that it’s about time that someone spoke up about what has been going on around here,” she said before giving a tour. “Everyone hope we can continue fixing up the track and bring it up to 2005.”

Hodge said they also put a screen around the east side of the track to block out on lookers. “A lot of people gather there to watch the races instead of paying to come in,” she noted.