HIGH DIPLOMACY got everything to his liking yesterday, his preferred distance, a muddy track and in-form Robert Halledeen, who was aboard for his last victory in similar circumstances. Responding to a powerhouse ride from Halledeen in the stretch run, the four-year-old colt outbattled Gary Subratie’s tag team of SENCITY and American-bred SWEET N SMART to win the closing event at a king’s ransom of 5-2.
Breaking sharply from post-position seven in the 12-horse line-up at seven and a half furlongs, HIGH DIPLOMACY was soon tackled by 6-1 chance SWEET N SMART, who was slowly away but ridden to vie for the lead six furlongs out.
SWEET N SMART led into the lane with HIGH DIPLOMACY on her outside and stablemate SENCITY creeping down three-wide. Tevin Foster started throwing the works at SWEET N SMART, drifting HIGH DIPLOMACY off a true line a furlong and a half out while SENCITY went to the rail.
However, Halledeen, hunting his third win of the afternoon, would have none of Tevin Foster’s antics aboard SWEET N SMART, rousing HIGH DIPLOMACY a furlong out, getting rid of one stablemate before outfinishing rail-running SENCITY with Reyan Lewis by a length and a half.
EARLY HAT-TRICK
HIGH DIPLOMACY stopped the clock in 1:34.0 on a track made muddy by mid-afternoon rain, handing Halledeen a well-deserved three-timer after booting home two winners, PARAISO and LEGALITY, in champion trainer Anthony Nunes’ early hat-trick on the nine-race card.
Nunes, who started the afternoon trailing stakes leader Jason DaCosta by $1.2 million, reeled off a hat-trick of winners – PARAISO, HECANDANCE and LEGALITY – reducing the deficit to $724,000 before his rival earned scraps from TOMOHAWK’s fifth-place run behind HIGH DIPLOMACY to round off the day leading by approximately $740,000.
An intriguing battle looms between the top barns with two meets to decide the season, Sunday and Monday. Nunes is determined to land a third straight title after finally dethroning his rival’s father, the late Wayne DaCosta, to whom he was bridesmaid for many of the 18-time champion trainer’s run of 14 consecutive crowns.
Jason, who took over Wayne’s high-powered barn in March, backed by top owners such as Carlton Watson, his mother, Elizabeth DaCosta and Von White, among others, is hell-bent on restoring his father’s legacy.