3 months ago
24
A.C.K STABLES’ United States-bred DIVINE FORCE yesterday turned the nine-furlong Yvonne Mattis Cup on its head with a gate-to-wire win at odds of 19-1, partnered by sparingly used Delroy Beharie, who must have made the sign of the cross at least 100 times on his way to the winners’ enclosure.
Breaking smartly from post-position five in the 12-horse field of overnight-allowance runners, DIVINE FORCE not only surprised rivals with his front-running victory but also turned the tables on RHYTHM BUZZ and FEARLESS SOUL, who were second and third, respectively, when he was beaten into fourth behind SHEER DELIGHT at a mile on April 26.
Beharie cleared the field quickly to rate DIVINE FORCE in splits of 24.3 and 47.2 coming out the Marlowe chute before increasing the tempo to 1:12.0 flashing past the three-pole with SONNY T AND CHIPPY chasing while SISTREN TREASURE, GIRVANO and RHYTHM BUZZ positioned for the kill that was never to happen.
Spinning off the turn on a two-length lead ahead of GIRVANO going past SONNY T AND CHIPPY with SISTREN TREASURE for company and RHYTHM BUZZ four wide, DIVINE FORCE kicked for home, increasing to 1:38.4 a furlong out, leaving his pursuers for dead.
GIRVANO finished best of the rest for second, three lengths away, run off his legs by his fellow American, while SISTREN TREASURE stayed on for third ahead of RHYTHM BUZZ in mid-track and RAINSVILLE, who should be noted sneaking along the rail for fifth.
Among the never-ending flow of foreigners owned by A. C. K Stables and trained by Philip Feanny with names ending in ‘Force’, five-year-old DIVINE FORCE, Alternation-Dance America, clocked 1:52.3 for nine furlongs, proving himself a deadly sprinter-stayer if allowed to relax on the lead.
Shane Ellis, Omar Walker and claiming rider Richie Shakes rode two-timers on the nine-race card. Walker landed the first aboard TUTS for Adin Williams and returned with an explosive run along the rail in the sixth with Anthony Nunes’ 10-1 outsider, QUEEN OF SOUL, the first of back-to-back winners for the leading trainer, who holds a razor-thin stakes lead over champion Jason DaCosta.
Ellis rode a quick double, closing Nunes’ two-timer astride speedy three-year-old ANOTHER ONE at five furlongs straight before landing the eight aboard DaCosta’s PROVIDENT at seven furlongs in the eighth.
Shakes, one of the leading claiming riders, also booted home back-to-back winners, BROMOTON ALEX in the second and a chance ride aboard KENCIA in the third.
Racing continues on Saturday.
English (US) ·