MIDKNIGHT BLUE, ridden by Devon A. Thomas, moves away from rivals to win the ninth race for the Jamaica Jockeys' Guild Trophy over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park last Saturday. Offering odds of 7-2, MIDKNIGHT BLUE is owned by Neville Johnson and trained by Colin Ferguson. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Ante-post favourites MISS RUTH and BRUCEONTHELOOSE have a date with destiny at Caymanas Park today when they contest the season's first classics, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, respectively, over 1600 metres for native-bred three-year-olds.
Sponsored for the first time by the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission, the Guineas signals the start of the 2009 Triple Crown campaign, which also includes the Derby and St Leger.
Last year produced a Triple Crown winner, the filly ALSAFRA, who makes her seasonal debut in today's 10th race over 1200 metres for open allowance horses.
fillies classic
The focus of attention are the 1000 Guineas for native bred three-year-old fillies and the 2000 confined to colts and geldings.
Both have attracted large fields, with 15 declared to run in the fillies classic and the maximum 16 in the 2000 Guineas.
Significantly, MISS RUTH will be ridden by American-based Panama-nian jockey, Fernando Jara, replacing the filly's regular partner, Dick Cardenas.
Although only 21 years old, Jara is an acclaimed big-race jockey, having won the 2006 Belmont Stakes aboard JAZIL and, more importantly, rode INVASOR to win the 2006 Breeders' Cup Classic and the 2007 Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race.
Both MISS RUTH and BRUCE-ONTHELOOSE had mixed fortunes when installed favourites last time out. The Philip Feanny-trained BRUCEONTHELOOSE streaked home by six lengths in the Prince Consort Stakes over 1400 metres on March 14, while the howling favourite, MISS RUTH, from the Percy Hussey stables, was humbled by the 28-1 outsider SHE'S MAGIC in the Thornbird Stakes for fillies on the same day, finishing a length second.
MISS RUTH and the Wayne DaCosta-trained SHE'S MAGIC, under champion jockey Omar Walker, renew rivalry in the 1000 Guineas, but with the fleet-footed MISS RUTH all of 7.0kg better off at the weights, she should easily turn the tables on SHE'S MAGIC, and beat the others as well.
She's definitely the class horse of the field and while the lightly-raced SAINT CECELIA from the Spencer Chung stables truly impressed under Shane Ellis when slamming rivals by 14 lengths (hard held) in a fast-run 1100-metre maiden race on March 14, and the Feanny-trained SHAKIRA SHAKIRA (Winston Griffiths up) finished a close fourth (rapid headway) in the Thornbird Stakes, it won't be easy for either to upstage MISS RUTH at level weights.
She should make it a post-to-post affair.
The 2000 Guineas looks a bit more straightforward with BRUCEONTHELOOSE (Griffiths up) and old rival THE GUMMER, with Walker riding for champion trainer DaCosta, expected to have a battle for top honours.
BRUCEONTHELOOSE, who is unbeaten in two starts this season, slammed rivals under top weight in the March 14 Prince Consort Stakes to be a ready-made favourite today.
By virtue of his runaway victory in the recent trial, BRUCEONTHELOOSE must be the horse to beat.
THE GUMMER, who beat him when they last met on Boxing Day over the distance when finishing second and third, respectively, to MISS RUTH in the Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes, won his prep race in a fast-time over 1500 metres recently and will only only go down fighting.
Other firm fancies on the 12-race programme are PALATINE in the second race, FIRST LADY in the fourth, SHANGHAI PASS in the fifth, FUGITIVE in the seventh and ALSAFRA to stave off THE GUARDIAN in the 10th.