Wall Street Trader won’t hang around in I’msatisfied Trophy

WALL STREET TRADER and ROUGH ENTRY were destined to take similar paths, overseas winners entering the island to plunder the Caribbean’s richest race, last year’s Mouttet Mile.

ROUGH ENTRY pulled off the coup, but WALL STREET TRADER was left in limbo by a since-amended Jamaica Racing Commission edict that ruled out imported geldings from being registered as racehorses.

Whereas seven-year-old ROUGH ENTRY is now having a rough time carrying topweight at distances of ground against top-class runners this season, five-year-old WALL STREET TRADER is just getting his act together, aiming at a hat-trick of wins from four local starts in Saturday’s I’msatisfied Trophy at six furlongs.

A winner of two races in the United States, claiming events at Los Alamitos and Gulfstream Park, WALL STREET TRADER was originally bought at Keeneland’s 2020 yearling auction for a princely US$155,000, suggesting his pedigree and conformation were eye-catching.

After a second-place run at Santa Anita, the Vancouver-Selva offspring was quickly sent to Los Alamitos where he got off the mark in June 2022. Following two attempts at Del Mar, WALL STREET TRADER was shipped to Gulfstream Park, where he won in December, after which he sporadically hit the board at the Florida racetrack in 2023.

Armed with earnings of US$45,000 in 2022 and close to US$15,000 in 2023, WALL STREET TRADER was shipped to Jamaica with eyes on the Mouttet Mile.

Having shown that he can hustle at a grade-one North American track, WALL STREET TRADER confirmed that overseas winners are a cut above local-breds, recently ripping a hole into the wind last time out, splits of 22.3, 34.0, 45.0 and 57.3 for a six-furlong victory on May 5.

Though beating overnight-allowance company, WALL STREET TRADER’s splits dwarfed those of fellow importee, IS THAT A FACT, who landed the grade-one Reggae Trophy at five furlongs straight a day earlier, clocking 59. 4 – fuelled by 23.2, 34.1 and 45.4 - with no turns to negotiate.

Returning with 116lb, dropping seven pounds from his gate-to-wire win in which he ended fellow American DIGITAL ONE’s unbeaten run, WALL STREET TRADER has no equal on the lead.

Local-bred BOOTYLICIOUS will try her best to annoy the American gelding. However, similar to her being brushed aside by foreigners in her last two races, DESERT OF MALIBU and IS THAT A FACT, BOOTYLICIOUS should cry no más when WALL STREET RADER hits top speed entering the lane.

YELLOWSTONE should suffer a similar fate carrying near-topweight 122lb whereas I AM FRED, heading the scale at 126lb, hasn’t raced since December with no exercise report worthy of recommendation.

ABILITY, last year’s Jamaica Derby and Mouttet Mile runner-up, has a habit of spotting rivals a few lengths at the start. He paid the price against BOOTYLICIOUS at five furlongs straight and will certainly be reminded against WALL STREET TRADER, who doesn’t hang around to take notes on leaving the gate.