KINGSTON, Jamaica - Champion trainer Anthony "Baba" Nunes says he was not surprised by the upset win by Legit Boss in the $3.6-million Pick-3 "Super Challenge" Trophy feature on Saturday, November 26, 2022.
Nunes emphatically stated his belief that his bay filly is blessed with enough talent for success.
Legit Boss (Casual Trick-Bilingual) surprisingly came from off the pace to beat stablemates Mamma Mia and Uncharter by 2 1/2 lengths going away in the Restricted Stakes race for native-bred two-year-olds over 7 furlongs (1,400 m) at odds of 13/1.
The race was the second leg in the Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) Two-Year-Old Triple Crown Series. Legit Boss, by the win, denied Mamma Mia, who won the first leg — the Cash Pot "Only One For Me" Trophy — the possibility of capturing all three races in the series. The series ends on December 27 (Boxing Day) with the $4-million SVL Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes going over one mile (1,600m).
"It was a very good performance from Legit Boss to win. However, I wasn’t surprised by the win, I thought she had a rough trip in the first leg. She broke, stumbled, and then hit the outside horse at the off.
"She was then rushed up and pulled back. She came out of the race in good nick, and she trained really nicely, working six furlongs in 1:16 and change over last weekend, and she finished up the work nicely," Nunes shared.
He added: "I saw the odds on the board and I was like, They threw her out of the market because of that one run [in the Cash Pot]' but she is a talented filly and I am really happy because we bred her and I trained her mother."
Ridden by Tevin Foster, Legit Boss settled into the fourth place down the backstretch as Mamma Mia (Robert Halledeen) dashed to the front and held the lead ahead of Awesome Anthony (Javaniel Patterson) and Durocell (Dick Cardenas).
Legit Boss continued to play the waiting game for most of the way until Foster let loose and asked his mount to run, approaching the distance. With a couple of cracks from the whip and a diamond change of holds from Foster in deep stretch, Legit Boss got into full flight, powering home to score a significant victory.
When asked about the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, Nunes said: "We will deal with that when that time comes. Right now, we are going to enjoy this victory."
