Aug. 26, 2007 — Top horse Kentucky Kris seemed to have no match on the track, or in the record books, as he took the feature 1-1/16 mile race on St. Thomas Sunday with a personal best time of 1:43.2.
Coming out of the starting gate, Valid Respect took an early lead, with Kentucky Kris and newcomer Natural Phenomenon following close behind. Valid Respect maintained the lead for the first lap, but Kentucky Kris and Natural Phenomenon stayed within striking distance.
Rounding the final bend, Kentucky Kris made his move, catching and passing Valid Respect within a matter of moments. By the time they reached the final stretch, Kentucky Kris had gained about a two lengths lead on the competition. As Kentucky Kris passed the finish line, all that could be heard was the roar of the crowd cheering for their hometown champ.
The much touted Natural Phenomenon, brought in to give Kentucky Kris a run for his money during Sunday's back-to-school event, was pretty quiet all race, coming in third. Classic Halo, hailing from Tortola, rounded out the group, finishing last.
The Pony and Bar Stakes, a six-furlong sprint, was another highly anticipated race at Clinton Phipps on Sunday, with sprint champion Emilin taking on Tortola's Captain Slew and Top Carte. Emilin busted out of the gate at the starting signal, but Captain Slew stayed right under his heals, followed by Top Carte.
Emilin and Captain Slew stayed right at each other around the first turn, starting to distance themselves from Top Carte. Down the stretch and into the final turn, Emilin fought off Captain Slew's relentless pursuit to maintain the narrowest of leads. The two continued to fight it out in the final stretch, but it was Emilin — beating his own previous record — who won, with a time of 1:09.1.
Other races at the Clinton Phipps Race Track on Sunday were as follows:
Enrique "Ricky" Ashby Race
1st Place: Prayerful, with a time of 1:41.4
2nd Place: Christian
3rd Place: Ray Maestro Jr.
Tamara Phillips Race
1st Place: Victoria Breeze, with at time of 1:46.3
2nd Place: De Laino Light
3rd Place: Gold Expectations
Charlene Wallace Race
1st Place: Vivid Cat, with a time of 1:38.4
2nd Place: Sauve Smile
3rd Place: Braheem
Gwen Anderson Race
1st Place: Man the Torpedoes, with a time of 1:25.2
2nd Place: Mon Ami Fonsi
3rd Place: Vocal Defense
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