God of Love holds true to form

GOD OF LOVE trounced overnight-allowance runners for the second time in six months, clocking 59.4 to beat BATON ROUGE at five furlongs round yesterday, again proving himself a cut above the level unless facing an out-of-class open allowance or grade-one sprinter.

Finishing outside the top three only twice in 10 starts this season, running among open-allowance and grade-one company, six-year-old GOD OF LOVE even had time to give away a length or two after rearing at the start before taking over from WILL THE CONQUEROR after the first furlong.

Leaving the half-mile marker with Robert Halledeen enjoying an armchair ride, GOD OF LOVE cruised into the straight before hitting overdrive in the stretch run to pull clear, winning by four and a half lengths, leaving BATON ROUGE to rally past WILL THE CONQUEROR for the runner-up spot.

GOD OF LOVE won the no-contest at cramped odds of 2-5, again bringing into question calendar class-relief granted to horses racing at the top-three levels – overnight allowance, open allowance and graded stakes – without consideration to consistency of performances, as opposed to rating and handicapping.

Halledeen, who polished his skills at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia and Thistledown in Ohio this summer, rode two winners, earlier producing 6-1 chance DILIGENT in a driving finish at five furlongs straight to nab BREAKING STORM at the wire in the sixth race among $250,000 claimers.

Gary Subratie saddled two winners, three-year-old maiden AMAD ALI and DHEADCORNERSTONE, who won his third race, beating three-year-olds at a mile in 1:40.2 with Reyan Lewis. AMAD ALI won easily at six furlongs, running at 5-1 with Allen Maragh making a return to the saddle, closing from off the pace to rush past 2-5 favourite REAL BIGMAN, who appeared all over the winner leaving the furlong pole.

Maragh, who had relocated to South Florida and started training horses after hanging up his spurs in a long career locally, is the uncle of Jamaica-born rider, Rajiv Maragh, who has won 1,673 races on the North American circuit, including Breeders’ Cup races astride CALEB’S POSSE and GROUPIE DOLL.

Unlike his uncle, Allen, and father Colin Maragh, Rajiv Maragh has never ridden at Caymanas Park but has indicated that he is back in training and could ride in the December 3 Mouttet Mile worth US$125,000.