Is That A Fact proves too strong for Errol Subratie field

IS THAT A FACT, a multiple grade-one winner last season, chasing home Mouttet Mile runner-up LEGACY ISLE in the six-furlong None Such Trophy a month ago, yesterday scored a routine win two classes lower in the Errol Subratie Memorial Trophy at a mile.

Champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s flagbearer in grade one last year, IS THAT A FACT beat ATOMICA in the Chairman’s Trophy, humbled BOOTYLICIOUS at five furlongs straight and strolled six furlongs in 1:12.2 against stablemate MADELYN’S SUNSHINE, before losing the Gold Cup in a driving finish to stablemate, FUNCAANDUN, who went on to win the US$250,000 Mouttet Mile two months later.

However, the ‘conditions turnstile’, having not won an open-allowance race within a specified time, allowed IS THAT A FACT, one of last season’s most dominant runners, to qualify for overnight allowance, despite finishing second behind LEGACY ISLE, runner-up to fellow American FUNCAANDUN in December’s Mouttet Mile, the racing calendar’s richest grade-one race.

Claiming rider Shaheem Gordon sat fourth with IS THAT A FACT, watching UNRULY MO set splits down the backstretch with MACK AND ROME and RUN JULIE RUN, last year’s Jamaica Derby runner-up, chasing to the half-mile marker.

Cruising into contention approaching the last four furlongs, IS THAT A FACT joined the grey RUN JULIE RUN, relegating a tiring MACK AND ROME. Both attacked UNRULY MO coming off the home turn with IS THAT A FACT three-wide.

IS THAT A FACT quickened in tight quarters to overhaul UNRULY MO a furlong and a half out, forcing Dane Dawkins to switch RUN JULIE RUN to the inside. Running with only 119lb as a result of Gordon’s seven-pound claim, IS THAT A FACT proved too strong for RUN JULIE RUN with 121lb when she tried rallying along the rail inside the last half-furlong.

IS THAT A FACT won by a length and three-quarter in 1:39.1 ahead of a brave RUN JULIE RUN, who was five and three-quarter lengths clear of this year’s Jamaica Oaks winner, LINGUIST, who ran an admirable third with 119lb.

Raddesh Roman continues to make a mockery of his title defence, booting home four favourites on the nine-race card, Canadian HI-SLEW SQUARED in the opening event, impressive United States-bred two-year-old, SIR DON, in the third, followed by two other Americans, GOODBYE FIREFLY, in the fifth and SHOOTING STAR in the eighth.

Roman’s four-timer moved him to 105 winners entering this afternoon’s nine-race card, the second of the three-day holiday meet, which concludes with tomorrow’s 10-race Heroes Day card.