Jockey Raddesh Roman steers Unruly Boss to victory in the fourth race at Caymanas Park on Thursday's December 26, 2024. The win marked the first of three for Roman, who widened his lead over rival Tevin Foster to three victories ahead of Saturday’s season-ending race card. (PHOTO: caymanasracing).
Raddesh Roman claimed a decisive three-timer on Thursday’s Boxing Day card at Caymanas Park, thwarting rival Tevin Foster’s attempt to seize the jockeys’ standings lead ahead of the season finale.
Starting the afternoon one adrift Roman, Foster pulled level on 129 winners by landing the second event with STORM VALLEY. However, Roman responded with back-to-back winners – UNRULY BOSS and INDESTRUCTIBLE – before steering American FEARLESS FORCE to victory in the eighth, extending his lead to three wins.
Roman’s three winners set up a commanding position for Saturday’s nine-race card, which concludes the racing season.
Meanwhile, BURNING HEDGE won the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes in a runaway victory for Carl Anderson, who owns, trains and bred the Hedge Fund-Burning Clearance colt partnered by Panamanian Dick Cardenas.
Trailing his five rivals for the first half mile, 7-2 chance BURNING HEDGE made a sweeping move three furlongs out to join leaders LOVISA and STRONG MIND at the top of the lane.
BURNING HEDGE quickly took over on straightening and sprinted clear inside the final furlong, beating LOVISA by eight and a half lengths in 1:41.2 on a fast track, crowning himself champion local-bred two-year-old.
Richard Azan’s duo of 4-5 favourite DANKA ridden by Foster and stablemate HAZELNUT with Dane Dawkins ran disappointingly. HAZELNUT, the expected pacesetter for DANKA, was fractious after being loaded into the gate and broke slowly.
Dawkins, the 2022 champion jockey, on winter break from Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Canada, continues to show his class, making all astride Gary Subratie’s United States-bred DIGITAL ONE to romp the Boxing Day Sprint Trophy, bringing down the curtains on card.