Two horses from Woodbine trained by Ted Holder will get their first test on the turf at the Garrison Savannah near Bridgetown, Barbados on Feb. 3 in the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes at 1800 metres. The race comes one month before the 41st Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup (Mar. 2), a race that the Coolmore starters are pointing for. Two Coolmore winners have gone on to win the Gold Cup.
Holder has sent PAT’SSEWINGMACHINE (by the late We Miss Artie) and FORESTER HUMOR (Old Forester) to Barbados from Woodbine via Classic Mile Training Centre in Ocala for a chance at the coveted Gold Cup.
First up is the Coolmore, worth $50,000 (BAR), race 7 on Saturday with a field of six, all of whom are nominated to the Gold Cup.
Pat’ssewingmachine is owned by the Fun in the Sun Stable which includes Darwin Clarke and Deryck Lynch. The six-year-old bay horse has one win in eight races and he was third in a 1 1/8 mile allowance/optional claiming race at Woodbine in October on the Tapeta. Pat’ssewingmachine was bred by Ken Ramsey in Maryland and Ramsey is not only a three-time Gold Cup-winning owner, but he has five horses nominated to this year’s race.
Forester Humor is by Ontario sire Old Forester and he is a Florida-bred owned by 59 Newton of Holder, Chris Griffiths, Dr. Dean Springer and Steve Samaroo. The six-year-old gelding has three wins in 14 races, all sprints, including a turf win in October for $15,000 claiming.
Anderson Trotman will ride Forester Humor and TeShawn Hazelwood will partner Pat’ssewingmachine.
Sir David Seal’s RENAISANCE FROLIC, with two straight wins late in 2023, is the probable favourite for the Coolmore. The nine-year-old is a multiple stakes winner in Florida and Gulfstream Park and he arrived in Barbados in 2020, finishing sixth in that year’s Gold Cup. The son of Paynter returned to the US and was a winner in 2020 and was a stakes winner and graded stakes-placed through 2022. The remarkable gelding was back in Barbados a year ago and was fourth in the Gold Cup.
The tough mare VIVIDLY was a jump or two away from catching Renaisance Frolic when they met in December for the Barbados Lottery Trophy. A seven-year-old British-bred mare. Vividly has raced in England, Florida, Kentucky and New Orleans and she has been in Barbados since 2022. She was second in last year’s Coolmore to So Suave (Ire) and eighth in the Gold Cup.
So Suave and Zaeed will start in the Coolmore for trainer Jean Marc Cozier. So Suave has done well in Barbados since coming from Woodbine a year ago. Zaeed (Noble Bird) is an 1800 metre specialist and he won the Final Handicap last September over Vividly.
The second subscription for the Gold Cup is due Feb. 9. There are currently 22 nominated horses for the race including millionaire STONE AGE (Ire), a son of Galileo (Ire).
Saturday – Garrison Savannah: Race 7 [6:25PM] Purse:$50,000 1800M (Turf)
NO APPRENTICE ALLOWANCE
THE COOLMORE “HOME OF CHAMPIONS” STAKES & TROPHY (GR.1. – BAR)
3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER (WFA)
EX, Tri, D/D, Soca-6, Pick-4
1. FORESTER HUMOR (USA) (T) (—) 105 TROTMAN A 6 129 HOLDER T
2. SO SUAVE (IRE) (TND) (39) 126 WALCOTT R 7 129 COZIER J-M
3. ZAEED (USA) (TND) (39) 125 PRESCOD N’R 4 125 COZIER J-M
4. VIVIDLY (GB) (39) 125 HUGHES R 7 124 WILLIAMS C
5. PAT’SSEWINGMACHINE (USA) (T) (—) 100 HAZELWOOD T 6 129 HOLDER T
6. RENAISANCE FROLIC (USA) (T) (39) 130 WILLIAMS R 9 129 NUNES A
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