THE PRINCE’S SPUR’s near-track-record 1:58.3, a six-length annihilation of fellow American GIRVANO in Monday’s Jamaica Cup, catapulted the seven-year-old gelding as favourite for the December 5 Mouttet Mile, throwing down the gauntlet to defending champion RIDEALLDAY, who had narrowly beaten him in September’s Gold Cup on his local debut.
Prequalified for the Mouttet Mile by letter-of-intent as a foreigner arriving in Jamaica after December 31 last year, THE PRINCE’S SPUR ripped a six-furlong split of 1:12.4 and a mile in 1:38.3, covering the last furlong and a half in 20 seconds flat, outclassing 6-5 favourite GIRVANO.
BARNABY, another Mouttet Mile hopeful, finished third, two lengths behind GIRVANO, whereas FUNCAANDUN, the 2024 winner, who had caught LEGACY ISLE at the wire, plodded in fifth, 22 lengths behind THE PRINCE’S SPUR.
Approximately 40 minutes before THE PRINCE’S SPUR skirted Atomica’s 2022 track record of 1:57.3, PHENOMENAL POWER, July’s Diamond Mile winner – beating GIRVANO and BARNABY, plus RIDEALLDAY, who had finished down the track – ran a stinker in the Port Royal Sprint, finishing last of eight runners, putting his Mouttet Mile credentials in turmoil.
Standing between THE PRINCE’S SPUR and Mouttet Mile glory is RIDEALLDAY, who had beaten him by three-quarter length in the seven-furlong Gold Cup, losing by three-quarter length in a race clocked in 1:23.2, three-fifths off Eros 1991 track-record 1:22.4.
THE PRINCE’S SPUR returned from that loss to clock 1:30.1 at seven and a half furlongs 22 days later, getting within 1.1 seconds of PHENOMENAL POWER’s track record, run on a lightning-fast track in the Clovis Metcalfe on July 4.
Proving that he was used up too early, chasing PACK PLAYS’ splits of 23.0 and 45.4 before motoring into 1:10.4 for six furlongs when caught by RIDEALLDAY in the Gold Cup, THE PRINCE’S SPUR made a mockery of overnight-allowance runners in the Typewriter Trophy.
The seven-year-old American, an experienced traveller with a 4-3-4 United States record under his girth, last won overseas at Gulfstream Park, Florida, beating US$12,5000 claimers in January.
THE PRINCE’S SPUR was sired by Cairo Prince out of the Giant’s Causeway mare
Flying Spur. He has raced at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Fair Grounds,
Gulfstream Park, Keeneland and Saratoga with wins at Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park and Saratoga.
Since winning the 2023 Mouttet Mile with Rough Entry, THE PRINCE’S SPUR’s trainer, Rohan Crichton, and his owners have twice had to settle for the runner-up spot, LEGACY ISLE beaten by FUNCAANDUN in 2024 and RIDEALLDAY last year.
THE PRINCE’S SPUR won under a hand ride from Irad Ortiz Jr at Gulfstream in January, clocking 1:38.2 for a mile. His previous race was also a win, 1:42.4, at eight and a half furlongs at Churchill Downs in September of 2024.
