Woodbine champion jockey PATRICK HUSBANDS, trainer TED HOLDER and Woodbine rider ESWAN FLORES take part in the 41st SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP (G1) on Saturday, March 2 at the Garrison Savannah in Bridgetown. The famous Caribbean race, at about 1 1/8 miles on turf, is one of three stakes races and 10 events on the afternoon with the Gold Cup being race 8, set to go off at 4:50 p.m. Eastern. The Gold Cup is worth $214,000 (Bar), about $110,000 (US).
*Watch the live stream of the entire Gold Cup card HERE.
Husbands, a four-time winner of the Gold Cup, is riding probable favourite JERRY THE NIPPER who was recently acquired by Gay Smith from Repole Stable. The Liam’s Map seven-year-old has been trained by Todd Pletcher throughout his career in which he won six of 24 races and is Grade 2 placed. In his most recent race, Jerry the Nipper added blinkers for the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf, chased a hot pace and finished ninth, 4 1/4 lengths behind star filly Warm Heart. Jerry the Nipper drew post 9 but moves in one place as Brilliant News has been scratched.
Owner Smith, who has won the Gold Cup three times, also acquired Portfolio Company from Klaravich Stable. Chad Brown has been training the son of Kitten’s Joy, who was bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Portfolio Company has won four of 15 races and is stakes-placed. He will be ridden by Antonio Bishop.
Ken Ramsey has won the Gold Cup three times and had half a dozen nominated before settling on Cash Equity (Fr) and Spy Novel. The former is a grey French-bred by Toronado who was claimed for $80,000 by Ramsey from a race at Santa Anita in November when he was beaten a neck to Canadian-bred Tio Magico in a 1 1/8 mile turf race. The grey earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. Cash Equity, who will be ridden by Rasheed Hughes, was third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap last September.
Spy Novel, by Boisterous, was claimed for $25,000 from breeder Gary Barber in January 2023 when he won his maiden on turf. The Pennsylvania-bred recently came off a long layoff and was second in a very tough optional claiming race at 1 3/8 miles. T’Shawn Hazelwood gets the mount.
Coolmore Stakes (G1) winner Pat’ssewingmachine came to Barbados from Woodbine with trainer Ted Holder, prepped in Ocala and then won in Barbados last month. The son of We Miss Artie was also bred by Ramsey and he races for the Fun in the Sun syndicate. Rocco Bowen is in from Oaklawn Park to ride.
Eswan Flores, who made Woodbine his current home a couple of years ago, picks up the mount on Nalicia Cozier’s So Suave (Ire), who came from Woodbine in 2023 to be third in the Gold Cup behind It’s a Gamble. The seven-year-old horse was a closing second to Pat’ssewingmachine in the Coolmore.
Locals Renaisance Frolic and Bodie Tap complete the Gold Cup field.
There are two other Group 1 events on the card: the Tanglewood Stakes and the Spa Sprint.
Race 8 [4:50PM EASTERN] Purse:$214,000 1800M (Turf)
Plus Subscriptions totaling $30,000.00
THE XLI SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP (GR. 1. – INT. – BAR)
3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER
EX, Tri, Spr, Triple, Pick-4, Soca-6
Post / Horse / Days Since Last Race / Rating / Jockey / Age / Weight / Trainer / Earnings (Bar)
1. PAT’SSEWINGMACHINE (USA) / (28) / 112 / BOWEN R / 6 / 129 / HOLDER T / $27,500
2. SPY NOVEL (USA) / 125 / HAZELWOOD T / 4 / 125 / JOSEPH JNR. S / $150,270
3. RENAISANCE FROLIC (USA) / (28) / 110 / WILLIAMS R / 9 / 129 / NUNES A / $64,490
4. SO SUAVE (IRE) (28) / 112 / FLORES E / 7 / 129 / COZIER J-M / $102,960
5. PORTFOLIO COMPANY (USA) / 130 / BISHOP A / 5 / 129 / BROWN CHAD / $779,094
6. CASH EQUITY (FRA) / 135 / HUGHES R / 6 / 129 / JOSEPH JNR. S / $618,946
7. BODIE TAP (USA) / 98 / PRESCOD N’R / 9 / 129 / LOVELL R / $136,080
8 BRILLIANT NEWS(IRE) (93) 100 Scratched 5 129 NUNES A $51,805.00
9. JERRY THE NIPPER (USA) / 135 / HUSBANDS BSS P / 7 / 129 / PLETCHER T / $1.088,050
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