Sparkle Diamond shines in overnight allowance
Published:Monday | December 14, 2020 | 12:14 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
SPARKLE DIAMOND recovered from traffic problems along the rail, fell back to fourth approaching the half-mile marker but still managed to split the leaders at the top of the lane to win yesterday’s overnight allowance sprint off a four-month lay-up.
Settled by Anthony Thomas after the interference, SPARKLE DIAMOND ran through rivals off the home turn to clock 1:04.4 in the five and a half furlong event, holding off late-charging CHACE THE GREAT to win by three-quarter length.
Imported SPARKLE DIAMOND, touted as a prospect for last year’s Diamond Mile, logged his fourth win from seven starts, closing a three-timer for Thomas, keeping him five winners ahead of Dane Nelson in their battle atop the jockeys’ standings.
Thomas, who started the afternoon four in front, saw his lead cut to three when Nelson won the second event astride LAZER LIGHT.
However, Thomas immediately rallied with back-to-back winners for Ryan Darby, FORMAL GLADIATOR and SHARP SKIRT, before guiding home SPARKLE DIAMOND for trainer Errol Waugh in the eighth.
Nelson kept the pressure on Thomas ahead of Saturday’s meet by landing the ninth and final race, producing Philip Feanny’s United States-bred filly, EXCESSIVE FORCE, with a measured stretch run to collar later-disqualified ELITIST at the wire, winning by three-quarter length.
Omar Walker closed a two-timer astride Anthony Nunes’ HOIST THE MAST in the Dye Job Sprint for two-year-olds, upstaging United States-bred stablemate, GO DEH GIRL, who was hunting a hat-trick of wins with Nelson aboard.
natural speed
Walker, who had used GO DEH GIRL to nab HOIST THE MAST by a head, at five and a half furlongs a month ago, throttled the local filly’s natural speed from the gate before joining the foreigner three and a half furlongs out.
Walker asked HOIST THE MAST to increase the pace three furlongs out, going past GO DEH GIRL, who had no answer when Nelson prompted her to respond coming off the home turn.
The top two-year-olds continue to clock good times as HOIST THE MAST posted a quick 1:12.2 for the six-furlong race as CALCULUS closed to give Nunes a sweep of the first three spots in the $980,000-purse event ahead of rival Wayne DaCosta’s THREE TIMES LUCKY.
Sunday racing takes a break this weekend, giving way to Saturday-Wednesday before reverting the following week.