Ms Cherry has easy time of Appreciation Day Trophy

RICHARD AZAN’S MS CHERRY easily won yesterday’s OTB Appreciation Day Trophy at seven furlongs, taking over from QUEEN OF SOUL approaching the half-mile marker, needing only to be pushed out by Panamanian Ismael Velasquez for a two-and-three-quarter length win ahead of 4-5 favourite ZULU WARRIOR.

A half-sister to MOJITO, Champion Two-Year-Old 2022, MS CHERRY accelerated effortlessly down the backstretch to launch at leaders QUEEN OF SOUL and PRINCESS AKILAH, quickly slipping away after the first three furlongs to straighten with an unmolested lead and Velasquez glancing behind with a ton of horse in hand.

QUEEN OF SOUL soon sputtered, giving way to ZULU WARRIOR, whose best effort in the stretch run proved to be in vain as MS CHERRY readily responded to Velasquez’ urgings a furlong out to win with ease at odds of 7-2.

The Sensational Slam-Fiftyshadesofray filly appeared comfortable at seven furlongs, suggesting she was long begging to be stretched out after being confined to mainly sprints as a three-year-old last season.

The Rimsky Trophy, Race 4, Series 2 of the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series, turned out to be a romp for yet another impressive foreigner from champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s barn.

Made eligible for the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series $1 million bonus through the $150,000 eligibility-fee route, three-year-old American FRED THE MASTER reproduced his sparkling exercise workouts to clock 1:12.3 at six furlongs as the 4-5 favourite.

FRED THE MASTER beat late-running stablemate GIRVANO by five-and-a-quarter lengths, the first of four winners for Robert Halledeen on the 10-race card.

Halledeen returned in the sixth to boot home WHIZZ KIDD at seven furlongs for trainer Donovan Hutchinson before landing back-to-back winners, FORT HALDANE and TITAN TEMPO, in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

MY ECLIPSE brought down the curtains at odds of 11-1 for trainer Phillip Lee with Oshane Nugent aboard, the longest shot on the Ketch 9 mandatory payout, which returned $875,017.50 to winning tickets.

Racing continues next Saturday.