If 5-year-old gelding RENAISANCE FROLIC (yes, his name is misspelled) runs anything like he did when he won three straight races last fall at Churchill Downs and Indiana Downs, he will be the boss in the 39th Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup on Saturday, Mar. 7. The horse has presented an impressive appearance in Barbados in training.
And what a homecoming that would be for jockey RICO WALCOTT, who is riding in his first race in Barbados in 4 years and just one year following surgery for a brain tumour in Canada last March (see interview below from Caribbean Broadcasting). Rico is a champion rider in western Canada and has made a remarkable return to riding since his operation.
The 1 1/8 mile turf event is run at the Garrison Savannah and has a field of 8 set to go on a big card of racing. The purse is $214,000 (US).
Renaisance Frolic, a stakes winner at Gulfstream in 2018 and a six-time winner by Paynter, has run Beyer Speed Figures as high as 98 recently. He has over $300,000 in earnings and was bought for the Gold Cup by the race’s all-time leading owner, Sir David Seale.
Top Florida trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who will be busy with his Kentucky Derby hopeful Chance It in the Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday trains the race favourite by Liz Deane will saddle on Saturday.
Canadian-bred RISING STAR, by Ghostzapper – Purple Trillium bred by Bill Graham, was claimed by Nicholas Gibbs and Woodbine trainer Sylvester Olivierre for $40,000 from a Woodbine event in November when fourth in a Polytrack event. The gelding won a 1 1/8 mile turf race to win his maiden earlier in the season with a 68 Beyer Figure.
Rising Star has had a run in Barbados, finishing 4th in the Group 1 Coolmore Home of Champions Stakes on Feb. 1 behind CELESTIAL STORM, the grey filly by Get Stormy who won last year’s Gold Cup who has been in sizzling form.
Woodbine jockey Chris Husbands will ride Rising Star.
Last year’s Gold Cup third-place finisher, Night Prowler, had a troubled run that day and was recently a close second to Celestial Storm in that Feb. 1 Home of Champions Stakes. Night Prowler, by Giant’s Causeway, has won nearly $500,000.
From Saint Lucia comes the runner-up in the inaugural Pitons Cup, COLONEL’S PRIDE, by Colonel John, who has previously won his maiden for $5,000 claiming. According to trainer Deon Visser, Colonel’s Pride had a long and rough trip by boat to Barbados and the trainer hopes the gelding has recovered enough to run well.
You can watch on the Barbados Turf Club site here, note that the time is one hour ahead, so post time is about 4 p.m. EST.
Race 8 [5:00PM] Purse:$214,000 1800M (Turf)
Plus Subscriptions totaling $25,000.00
NO APPRENTICE ALLOWANCE
THE XXXIX SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP (GR. 1. – INT. – BAR)
3-YEAR-OLDS AND OVER
EX, Tri, Spr, Hi5, D/D, Pick-3, Pick-4, Soca-6
1 RUN BAYOU(USA) (—-) 068 Scratched 6 129 HEWETSON R $140,725.55
2 COLONELS PRIDE (ND) (—-) 075 LI C 5 129 VISSER D $104,609.00
3 BURNDINES(USA) (VT) (021) 070 PRESCOD N’R 8 129 JOSEPH K $305,070.00
4 CELESTIAL STORM(USA) (T) (035) 132 HUGHES R 6 124 PARRAVICINO J.P R $322,501.00
5 RISING STAR(CAN) (BTND) (035) 110 HUSBANDS C 4 125 OLLIVIERRE S $156,962.00
6 NIGHT PROWLER(USA) (035) 130 SAMUEL J 8 129 DEANE SCM E $58,630.00
7 RENAISANCE FROLIC(USA)(BTND) (—-) 138 WALCOTT R. W 5 129 JOSEPH JNR. S $626,512.00
8 BODIE TAP (B) (182) 122 WALCOTT R 5 129 LOVELL R $27,775.00
9 TRINI AVIATOR (T) (—-) 098 ABREGO N 5 129 O’BRIEN J $52,517.00
Preview from CBC:
https://www.facebook.com/103091716406235/videos/670126217126564/
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
