Kittitian horse power at Santa Rosa Park in Trinidad

St Kitts owned American Dance gave favourite backers no worry, when winning the feature US100,000, Imported Stayers Challenge over 1,800 metres under American rider Edgar Prado. Prado stalked the pace set by Readbetweendlines and raced past his rivals for an easy success. American Dance has now won his five starts. In this Abraham Diaz photo American Dance and and Prado are clear of Readbetweendlines en-route to winning the US$55,000 first prize cheque for owner Daislyn Sharpe. Prado rode three winners on the day’s card, all for St Kitts.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 4TH 2011 (CUOPM) – It was Kittitian power at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, Trinidad during the inaugural Caribbean Nations Racing Challenge at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.

Shammi Kowlessar, writing in the Trinidad Express aid the tiny Caribbean island of St Kitts was only represented by four horses, but was triumphant three times during the richest day in the history of the sport in the region.

There were ten events for total prize-money of US$650,000 and the card also included four representatives from Jamaica and three from Barbados.

But it was the Kittitian horses that grabbed the attention of the local fans, who were made to sit up and take notice from the word go when Tizbig completed his fifth victory in succession by taking the US$75,000 Imported Sprint Challenge by 1 ½ lengths.

Sacred Trust, who finished third in the Stewards Cup a month ago, turned the tables on Stewards Cup hero Signal Alert as the American-bred three-year-olds finished second and third in the 1,200-metre contest.

Tizbig was the second choice in the betting—behind Signal Alert— but the fans ensured that the other three entrants from St Kitts were sent off as the favourite in their respective events.

They were rewarded right after, when Bad Action looked as smooth as silk as he easily disposed of seven challengers to win the Imported Turf Stayers Challenge by 4 ¼ length.

As a result of persistent rain throughout the week, this 1,800-metre contest, as well as the other two US$50,000 races billed for the lawn, were switched to the main course.

The Kittitians went after a hat-trick in the third race with Bachhaus, but the raging 3/5 favourite was a step slow out of the gates and was never able to make up the ground as Cubic Capacity returned from a break of two months to take the WI-Bred and Imported Turf Sprint by 2 ½ lengths from a fast-finishing debutant Youaresobad.

The American-bred three-year-old was scoring for the fourth time this season and was the first mount of the day by world-famous American jockey Corey Nakatani.

Bachhaus ended up a disappointing eighth of the 11 runners in the 1,100-metre contest, but the Kittitians bounced back in style in the penultimate event of the card.

After waiting patiently behind Readbetweendlines for most of the way in the second of the US$100,000 events, American Dance collared the talented American-bred three-year-old in the last 200 metres and drew away to score by 2 ¼ lengths in the Imported Stayers Challenge.

Runner-up Readbetweendlines was followed home by 1,750-metre track record holder Boogie Blues, while Strikes Not Spares edged Montejo for fourth in the 1,800-metre contest.

Montejo, who finished second in last year’s Gold Cup, was racing for the first time in six months, and ended up just ahead of last year’s Gold Cup winner Cactus Amour in his first outing since the end of February.

Like Tizbig, American Dance was scoring for the fifth time in succession, while Bad Action’s only blemish in his last six starts was when he finished eighth in his first attempt on the grass at the Garrison Savannah in Barbados.

Daislyn Sharpe is the owner of all three and they were ridden by Edgar Prado, a Peruvian who has over 6,000 winners campaigning in the United States.

Apostle was the Bajan flagbearer, but the 13-time winner never really had a chance when the WI-Bred Turf Stayers Challenge was taken off the lawn and ended up one from last.

Midsummer Classic and Trinidad Derby runner-up Galveston went on to take the 1,700-metre contest by 3 ¼ lengths in the hands as Nakatani made it two from two.

Like the three Barbadians, the first Jamaicans also failed to finish in the money, before Odin ended up fourth in the curtain event—the US$75,000 WI-bred Sprint Challenge.

This 1,200-metre contest was won by two-time defending Horse of the year Bruceontheloose.