Roman turns jockeys’ race on its head with 4-timer at Caymanas

Raddesh Roman turned the jockeys’ title race on its head on Sunday with a four-timer, reducing Tevin Foster’s lead atop the standings to one winner, 110-109, entering Monday’s final day of the three-meet Heroes holiday weekend.

Responding to leader Tevin Foster’s similar feat, which sent him four clear two Saturdays ago, Roman, starting the afternoon on 105 wins to Foster’s 109, brought down the house with a rousing finish astride PRESS CONFERENCE in the closing event.

Racing in fourth, Roman roused PRESS CONFERENCE, who charged at the finish to rush past SPEEDIE HARE, K. P.’s CHOICE and CALIFORNIA GOLD to nail JOY IS GOLDEN stealing hone at five furlongs straight in the Nigel B Nunes Memorial .

Earlier, Roman enjoyed double-digit winning margins aboard NOBLE IMPULSE and TIFFANY BLU, easing to 107, scoring victories in the second and fourth events.

Foster responded immediately with a win astride IMMEASURABLE JOY in the fillies-only Titania Trophy for three-year-olds at five and a half furlongs, inching to a three-win advantage.

However, Roman returned to close the nine-race card by landing the late double, first handing Oral Hayden a two-timer by using BAD INVESTMENT to outrun rivals at a mile in the ninth after the first-season trainer had posted ACKNOWLEDGE ME to a runaway win at five furlongs straight in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Saqlain Roman’s MACK AND ROME went gate-to-wire in the Royal Dad Trophy co-feature at nine furlongs and 25 yards, running his five rivals off their legs from start to finish.

Sent off at odds of 5-1 with Panmanian Victor Sanchez, MACK AND ROME, who was highly regarded by his connections during this year’s three-year-old classics, showed his preference for route events by winning his third race going two turns this season.

The Ketch 9 mandatory payout, rocked in the first event by 24-1 stunner DIAMOND ROCK, returned $1.73 million to three winning tickets.