Mouttet Mile plot thickens with champion trainer race

ANTHONY NUNES’ chances of dethroning Jason DaCosta as champion trainer depends on two horses with Guyanese connections, NAUTICAL STAR in the $45.15-million Mouttet Mile and OF A REVOLUTION in the $15m Bruceontheloose Sprint.

Runner-up to DaCosta in the trainers’ title race for three consecutive years, 2022-24, Nunes has resorted to his arch-rival’s tactics of importing foreigners, hoping to land the coup de grace in the Mouttet Mile, which has a winner’s purse of $24.9m.

Starting the meet approximately $15m behind DaCosta, Nunes could slash the deficit in half should OF A REVOLUTION land the Bruceontheloose at six and a half furlongs, worth $8.25m to the winner.

Should OF A REVOLUTION snatch the Bruceontheloose and NAUTICAL STAR win the Mouttet Mile, DaCosta’s $15m lead would become a possible $18m deficit within an hour, an almost insurmountable amount of stakes money to overhaul in the remaining six race meets to close the season.

Simply put, both Nunes runners are North American winners, previously trained by Saffie Joseph Jr, imported specifically for the Bruceontheloose and Mouttet Mile.

OF A REVOLUTION blazed 58.3 from the gate, out the straight, two Saturdays ago, the first four furlongs in 45.1. Last Saturday morning, he clocked 1:06.2 for five and a half furlongs.

Sired by Maclean’s Music out of the Salt Lake mare, Hot Spell, OF A REVOLUTION has won at Charles Town, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, Oaklawn Park, and Parx Racing, achieving his highest speed rating, 126, after placing third in the six-furlong Gallant Bob (Grade Two) at Parx in September 2022.

At age six, OF A REVOLUTION is among peers in the Bruceontheloose. DESERT OF MALIBU and WALL STREET TRADER, local-based Americans, are also six-year-olds but none with the résumé to match the American invader with Raddesh Roman aboard.

OF A REVOLUTION clocked 1:16.4 for six and a half furlongs when winning last August on the dirt at Gulfstream Park. In June, he placed third behind 1:10.0 for six furlongs at the South Florida racetrack.

Should OF A REVOLUTION report anywhere close to his Gulfstream Park form, the Bruceontheloose will be a formality, putting Nunes halfway to overhauling DaCosta.

NAUTICAL STAR, a five-year-old, is also a former Joseph runner with wins at Gulfstream and Oaklawn Park. Similar to OF A REVOLUTION, NAUTICAL STAR is a traveller, having also competed at Mahoning Valley and Parx Racing.

Lining up against an all-star cast of local-based foreigners, including last year’s champion FUNCAANDUN and runner-up LEGACY ISLE, NAUTICAL STAR last raced at Gulfstream in August, finishing fifth in the Benny The Bull Handicap at seven furlongs, his second race off a 15-month lay-up.

Prior to going off on a 13-month break, NAUTICAL STAR had finished third in back-to-back races, a mile and eight and a half furlongs, respectively. Both events were won in fast times, 1:36.3 and 1:43.4.

Certainly not void of pace, NAUTICAL STAR has won six-furlong events in 1:10.3 and 1:11.0 at Oaklawn Park, plus a seven-furlong in 1:23.0 at Gulfstream Park in 2023.

Galloping at Caymanas Park on consecutive Saturdays, clocking 1:25.4 for seven furlongs and 1:12.1 for six, both instances out the mile chute, signalling his intentions of completing a Nunes sweep for Guyanese connections.