El Rey Sanjay is injured and will not be in the Triple Crown (Photo: Jagdath Soomarie)
El Rey Sanjay’s hopes of winning Trinidad and Tobago’s Triple Crown Series have been dashed. At the Triple Crown Series’ first nomination stage of the three-race series, which starts with the 1,800-metre Guineas, El Rey Sanjay was among the seven horses nominated for the event, scheduled to be run off on Friday May 31, 2024 — Indian Arrival Day — at Santa Rosa Park.
The Suruj Hayban-owned colt scored on his debut race over 1,100 metres on Santa Rosa Park’s main track as a three-year-old in a decent 1.08.25 on January 27 2024. He was then beaten on the turf over 1,600 metres, finishing third to Uncle Rog, whom he had beaten on his debut in January.
El Rey Sanjay bounced back with a near gate-to-wire success, turning back the well-regarded Uncle Rog, trained by champion trainer John O’Brien. Based on that performance, the colt, trained by Lester Alexis, was seen as a surefire Triple Crown winner. However, the injury the chestnut son of St Vigeur/Princess Suri (Street Sense) suffered has forced him to miss the 1,800-metre Guineas, the 1,900-metre Midsummer Classic, and the 2,000-metre Trinidad Derby Stakes in September.
The son of the mare Princess Suri has suffered a fracture of his left fore cannon bone, and will be out of action for the next five months.
Princess Suri, the dam of El Rey Sanjay, is presently in Guyana, along with her two foals. She has a full two-year-old brother to El Rey Sanjay, and a half brother who is a weanling in Guyana for breeder/trainer Fazal Habibulla.
Veteran Habibulla considers himself very fortunate to own such a well-bred mare, whose grandam is a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. Princess Suri is reported in foal in Guyana to Nominee.
El Rey Sanjay is named after the owner’s son, Sanjay. This colt won his last race in a quick 1:21 over the 1,350-metre tip, turning back all challengers with a near gate-to-wire success. The lightly raced El Rey Sanjay’s performance placed him at the top of his class, and he was immediately the odds-on ante post favourite for the Triple Crown Series.
Success for King Sanjay, when his racing name El Rey Sanjay is translated – would have enhanced the racing status of his two brothers, now stabled at Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC), Rising Sun, West Coast, Berbice. However, on the bright side, the racing industry has benefitted from Princess Suri being in Guyana, as he does not have any other offspring in Trinidad, and Princess Suri is a young mare in the breeding shed.
Princess Suri is a multiple Graded Stakes winner, scoring from 1,200 metres to 1,800 metres. She won the Diamond Stakes sprinting, and then won the 1,800 metre-President’s Cup.
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