Jordon Reign’s, Big Jule impress on Hall of Fame Day

IAN PARSARD’S United States-bred JORDON REIGN’S and his imported-in-utero stablemate, BIG JULE, scored impressive victories in yesterday’s co-features on Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Day.

Sparingly raced JORDON REIGN’S completed back-to-back wins, his fifth victory in seven starts, attacking Jason DaCosta’s LURE OF LUCY and EAGLE ONE coming off the turn to sprint home two and three-quarter lengths clear in the six-furlong Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Stakes.

A winner on June 18 when reporting off a two-month break, slowly away before storming from off the pace to collar LURE OF LUCY at six and a half furlongs, JORDON REIGN’S appeared back to his best in the open allowance/graded stakes sprint, eased close home by Dick Cardenas after hitting the front a furlong and a half out at odds of 9-5, clocking 1:12.3 in the process.

Parsard returned to the winners’ enclosure for the Reynold ‘Ren’ Gonzalves Memorial, won in gate-to-wire fashion by 3-5 favourite BIG JULE, returning off a five-month break to outclass overnight allowance runners at nine furlongs and 25 yards with title-chasing Dane Dawkins aboard.

Fourth in last year’s Jamaica Derby, far-striding BIG JULE turned back AWESOME TREASURE, UNCLE FRANK, BERN NOTICE and MINIATURE MAN at various stages of the event before powering home in 1:58.2, eight lengths clear of BEST DAUGHTER EVER.

SEE-SAW BATTLE

BIG JULE handed Dawkins his second winner on the 10-race card after earlier landing the third event with 4-1 shot FUNKY FASHION. However, champion jockey Anthony Thomas maintained his one-win lead in their see-saw battle atop the jockeys’ standings with a two-timer of his own.

Thomas notched wins aboard 4-5 favourite SUDDEN FLIGHT at five furlongs straight in the fifth event, overpowering BALAZO close home, and returned to close the card astride 2-1 chance RUNWAY ICON, who reported off a six-month break to beat three-year-old maidens at seven furlongs.

Six-time champion jockey Omar Walker shared riding honours with Thomas and Dawkins, using his signature post-to-post style to wire rivals aboard SHE’S SI FABULOUS and SUPERLUMINAL in the first and eighth events, respectively.

Racing continues this afternoon with a nine-race programme.