Celebrate Ash Wednesday with Wall Street Trader

SCRATCHED from division one of the Allan E ‘Billy’ Williams Memorial on February 8, American WALL STREET TRADER holds all the aces in the March 5 Ash Wednesday Trophy at six and a half furlongs.

Running on a get-out-of-jail card, on condition of having not won another open-allowance (Gr2) event since cantering in by almost 10 lengths in the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission Trophy last August, WALL STREET TRADER gets a bye to race a rung lower among overnight-allowance company despite holding his own against the best grade-one horses in the country.

WALL STREET TRADER chased home none other than fellow American, PACK PLAYS, with whom he shares Vincent Maine as owner, beating 2022 Jamaica Derby winner and three-time Jamaica Cup champion, ATOMICA, into third place at six and a half furlongs in the January 25 Eileen Cliggott Memorial.

Categorised as a Grade Two but open to grade-one runners, the Cliggott Memorial attracted the likes of local champion ATOMICA, and imported IS THAT A FACT, who carried 126lb and 121lb, respectively, as payback for the drop in class.

Both grade-one runners were ambushed by speedy PACK PLAYS, who made all with 115lb, clocking 1:18.1. Sitting level with PACK PLAYS, WALL STREET TRADER improved into third coming off the home turn, collaring a winded ATOMICA, who blew a fuse in suicide splits if 34.4, 46.4 and 59.1 with the big weight.

WALL STREET TRADER finished three and a half lengths behind PACK PLAYS, flashing past the post in 1:18.4, three lengths clear of ATOMICA. PACK PLAYS and ATOMICA returned in last Saturday’s Chairman’s Trophy, finishing fourth and second, respectively, behind BARNABY, who was seventh in December’s US$250,000 Mouttet Mile.

Imported for the Mouttet Mile, six-year-old gelding WALL STREET TRADER started his career like a rock star, consecutive second-place finishes behind RHYTHM BUZZ and FUNCAANDUN last Spring, before a quick April-May double, which propelled him to open-allowance where he was stopped in a fourth-place finish in the I’mSatisfied Trophy by ABILITY, I AM FRED and pace-setting BOOTYLICIOUS.

Were it not for conditions that allow proven runners a bye back to overnight-allowance, out-of-class WALL STREET TRADER would be taking his chances against open-allowance company with a light impost.