Bootylicious, Get A Pepsi share Nunes feature

BOOTYLICIOUS and GET A PEPSI, running with the stands’ side track bias in their favour, yesterday won divisions one and two, respectively, of the Nigel B Nunes Memorial at five furlongs straight.

BOOTYLICIOUS, drawn widest at post-position 10, closed a three-timer for champion and leading rider Raddesh Roman, making all for her 10th win from 21 starts. The 2023 Thornbird Stakes winner clocked 59.2 for a three-length win ahead of PRINCE AMAAN.

A prohibitive 2-5 favourite, five-year-old BOOTYLICIOUS was on her second run down in class among overnight-allowance runners, granted a bye to race at the level, having last won at the higher open-allowance group in February.

BOOTYLICIOUS marked Roman’s 101st winner for the season in chase of Trevor Simpson’s record of 172 winners set in 2002. Roman got off the mark astride 1-5 favourite TIGERAMEDAT in the third event for $500,000 claimers before winning aboard five-year-old HE STANDS ALONE, a 3-1 chance at five furlongs straight in the fifth.

Whereas BOOTYLICIOUS went gate-to-wire, GET A PEPSI produced a strong, late kick to power past BULLETPROOFCOFFEE and ANOTHER ONE, who were both running in heavier ground from post-positions two and three, respectively.

Partnered by claiming rider Richard Henry, six-year-old GET A PEPSI kept dead straight from post-position seven, whereas BULLETPROOFCOFFEE and ANOTHER ONE, in particular, lost ground by instinctively drifting towards the inner rail of the round course.

GET A PEPSI won at odds of 7-2 for trainer Robert Pearson, clocking 58.3, two and a quarter lengths clear of BULLETPROOFCOFFEE rallying to relegate ANOTHER ONE to third, after both had disputed the lead from the start.

Pearson and Colin Ferguson saddled two winners apiece on the 10-race card to kick-start October’s meet. Pearson landed the second with second-time starter THE LEVITICUS, a 6-5 favourite among three-year-old maidens at six furlongs.

Ferguson notched a rare two-timer started by 23-1 stunner, DIMETRY P, in the opening event. Ferguson’s second winner, YORKIST, was partnered by 66-year-old Trevor Johnson, his first mount since 2020.

YORKIST won at odds of 3-1 at five furlongs straight, signifying stable confidence, as opposed to DIMETRY P’s shocking upset of 1-5 favourite THE REAL IDENTITY, whose late run was interrupted by DIMETRY P storming between horses close home at seven furlongs.

Racing continues on Saturday with a Reggae 6 mandatory payout opening at $16.4 million.