Ontario Trainer Randy Thompson and His Dubai Experience of a Lifetime

Randy Thompson was not sure if trainer and friend Saffie Joseph, Jr. was joking when he asked the Ontario horseman if he wanted to go to Dubai for World Cup week with sprinter Drain the Clock.

“I laughed,” said Thompson, who has been working with Joseph at Gulfstream Park in Florida this winter as one of the assistants for the meet’s leading trainer. “He told me he wanted to pay his respects to me ‘as a horseman and a friend’ by sending me.”

Thompson is now halfway around the world at Meydan racecourse in Dubai with the Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock, preparing that colt for the $2 million Golden Shaheen, at six furlongs on the dirt, on March 26 on the Dubai World Cup card.

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Drain the Clock (Maclean’s Music – Manki, by Arch) is a 4-year-old colt owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig who won the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont in June 2021 and recently posted a career best 102 Beyer Speed Figure when second by a neck in the Gulfstream Sprint on Feb. 19.

Both Joseph and Thompson are from Barbados and they have know each other and each other’s families for years. As Joseph is currently preparing Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner WHITE ABARRIO for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 2 and overseeing 45 horses in his care, Thompson was offered the opportunity to travel to Dubai with Drain the Clock.

Randy Thompson celebrates the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) win by Kentucky Derby hopeful White Abarrio on Feb. 5 – Coglianese/Gulfstream Park photo

“[Saffie’s] dad was my mentor,’ said Thompson. “I watched Saffie grow up in the yard among us and groom from the time he was seven years old. I won the Barbados Gold Cup for [Saffie’s father] as a groom in 1999 with Peace Envoy after finishing 2nd the year before. We are like family.”

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Thompson came to Canada in the fall of 2000 and worked with trainer Tino Attard, returned to Barbados and then came back to Ontario permanently in 2003 working for various trainers. He was an assistant trainer for Barbara Minshall and soon went out on his own.

Thompson has been dabbling with a small stable of horses as a trainer since 2013 but since 2019 has seen his success with his horses skyrocket. In 2020 his filly MARJORIE’S DREAM, owned in partnership with John McMullen (with Thompson’s ex-wife Susan) won the $138,000 Algoma Stakes by a nose under fellow Barbadian Patrick Husbands in her fourth career race. The filly was a private purchase for $6,000 from breeder Walnut Ridge Farm. It was a $2,000 auction purchase in 2019, Fourteen Days and a younger full sister to Marjories Dream who led to the purchase of his first stakes winner.

Last year, despite a second straight season of racing at Woodbine shortened due to the COVID-10 pandemic, Thompson had his best career year by wins, purse earnings, and most starts. He sent out five winners from 45 starts and his horses earned over $135,000.

And bettors would be smart to take a look at Thompson’s starters since his horses had a winning return-on-investment in the 240 percent range.

Fourteen Days won her maiden at 17-to-1 in July and four days later Anita Grigio won her first of two scores on the turf at 10-to-1 for HJT Stable. A $4,000 2020 yearling purchase, Allpaidup (like Marjorie’s Dream and Fourteen Days a daughter of Old Forester) won her maiden in November and then finished fourth in the South Ocean Stakes.

To put an exclamation point on his 2021 season, Thompson sent out a $2,000 purchase ETHNIC SOUL, a son of Tourist owned by Kelecia Ansine, to win his maiden at 105-to-1.

Thompson, who lives in Ajax and also works on the starting gate at the Ajax Downs Quarter Horse races, has seven horses in training at Woodbine currently and will be re-joining his stable following his Dubai trip. Later this year, Thompson may even get to see his friend at Woodbine. Joseph trains the Queen’s Plate eligible Eldon’s Dream (Cairo Prince), a double stakes winner owned by Gentry Farms.

But first things first. Drain the Clock will be meeting a large field of top sprinters in the Golden Shaheen next weekend and the colt will have Thompson and another Joseph assistant, Sarah Shaffer, preparing him to the minute for the rich race.