Jockeys’ championship battle the buzz at Caymanas Park on Monday

Caymanas Park will be buzzing with excitement on Monday’s closing day of the three-meet Heroes Weekend Carnival of racing with the jockeys’ title race between leaders Tevin Foster and Raddesh Roman expected to reach fever pitch.

Roman, who dominated Sunday’s nine-race card with a four-timer, reducing Foster’s lead to one winner, 110-109, is aboard Mouttet Mile hopeful and United States-winner PACK PLAYS, who destroyed overnight-allowance runners when debuting locally at six and a half furlongs.

Roman and Foster each have eight mounts on the nine-race programme, supported by throngs of flag-waving fans awaiting them in the winners’ enclosure after each event.

Whereas most of the races in which the opposing riders clash could go either way, PACK PLAYS, among six foreign invaders expected to line-up in December’s US$250,000 Mouttet Mile, should score a routine win on the route course, nine furlongs and 25 yards, among open-allowance company.

A three-year-old sprinter, PACK PLAYS demolished MONEY MONSTER a month ago, clocking a smart

1:17.3, an unmolested 10-length win, marking his first attempt beyond five and a half furlongs after

eight starts abroad.

Campaigning as a two-year-old last year, PACK PLAYS won a five-furlong maiden-claiming event at

Monmouth Park in July before moving tack to Delaware Park where he placed third in back-to-back

allowance and restricted races at five and a half furlongs.

On moving to Gulfstream Park in December, PACK PLAYS was again third in restricted company, earning a Horse Racing Nation speed rating of 87 in a five-furlong event won in 56.3.

PACK PLAY’s last win abroad was in February, as a three-year-old among claimer, clocking 1:03.2 at five and a half furlongs on the synthetic track, followed by a second-place run among restricted company in March.

PACK PLAYS’ only finish outside the top three in eight North American starts was at five and a half

furlongs in April among optional claimers, after which he finished second and third at the level in

May and June, respectively, ending his Gulfstream Park career.

RHYTHM BUZZ, with whom PACK PLAYS shares Vincent Maine as owner, could chase home the speedy American. Looking sharp at exercise for his return from a three-month break. RHYTHM BUZZ, a son of 2016 Gold Cup winner, BUZZ NIGHTMARE, posted 1:28.0  the morning after PACK PLAYS clocked 1:27.4.