Sat | Apr 27, 2024

Is That A Fact looks good for Alexander Memorial

Published:Thursday | January 25, 2024 | 12:13 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
IS THAT A FACT and jockey Reyan Lewis stroll to the winners’ enclosure after capturing the Poorlittlerichgirl Trophy for three-year-old and upwards open allowance stakes over seven furlongs at Caymanas Park on September 16, 2023.
Anthony Minott
IS THAT A FACT and jockey Reyan Lewis stroll to the winners’ enclosure after capturing the Poorlittlerichgirl Trophy for three-year-old and upwards open allowance stakes over seven furlongs at Caymanas Park on September 16, 2023.

IS THAT A FACT’s brave second-place effort to ATOMICA in the Ian Levy Cup not only franked the United States-bred colt’s Mouttet Mile effort but further exposed how he had managed to go on a four-win streak before being stopped in his tracks by grade-one MAHOGANY in an open-allowance late October.

Returning in Saturday’s Alexander memorial at a mile among open-allowance company, IS THAT A FACT ought to rubber-stamp his Ian Levy runner-up and prior fourth-place Mouttet Mile finish.

Sent off as a 7-2 chance with 123lb in the Ian Levy on New Year’s Day, IS THAT A FACT tried to close the relay on ATOMICA after his stablemate, MAMMA MIA, chucked the gallop midway the eight-and-a-half-furlong cracker, hauled-up, trying to maintain rabbit splits of 23.0 and 45.3.

Spotting his lead runner in distress, Reyan Lewis urged IS THAT A FACT to go in chase of ATOMICA heading to the half-mile marker, a sweeping move which took the four-year-old foreign colt to within a head of the 2022 Jamaica Derby winner coming off the home turn in splits of 1:10.2.

However, ATOMICA, in her element on the lead, rallied along the rail with topweight 126lb to turn back IS THAT A FACT’s challenge, humbling yet exposing the foreigner’s class as a decent middle-distance runner who, long ago, had proven that he belongs in the top classes, not passing time ‘winning out conditions’ among hapless local-breds.

The Palace Malice-Valid Code colt stunned with his fourth-place finish in the Mouttet Mile, gaining late after turning for home last of 11 with Omar Walker at odds of 70-1. It was the first time Jason DaCosta had sent the four-year-old beyond seven-and-a-half furlongs, which he apparently relished, considering his battling second to ATOMICA a month later going a half-furlong longer in the Ian Levy.

With speedy stablemate LUKSOL thrown in the Alexander Hamilton to take out in-form I REALISE, who faces open-allowance pace for the first, made even worse with 121lb, IS THAT A FACT should have no problem swooping in for the kill entering the stretch run.