the Garrison…
Airplane logistics (AIR CANADA) and 13 hours from one city to the Island of Barbados and Thoroughblog is here in steamy, steamy Dover, just south of the capitol of Bridgetown.
Very humid, very warm.
THE BARBADOS GOLD CUP will be held in the heat tomrorow and Canada will be cheering for EUEGENE MELYNK’S grey 7yo STERWINS, a graded stakes winner in Canada and the U.S.
Melnyk has hundreds of friends and family coming from everywhere for the big race.
The competion is stiff – BRIBON, while a non-winner at the nine-furlong distance – is a Grade 1 winner, BAD ACTION is a good one too.
Canadian jocks Patrick Husbands (Sterwins), Jono Jones (Bad Action) and RICHARD DOS RAMOS (the filly Bouncebak, who is cross-entered) are in action.
4:50PM
Race # 8 THE XXIX SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP (GR. 1. – INT. – BAR)
Distance 1800M (Turf)
NO APPRENTICE ALLOWANCE
Class 3-YEAR-OLDS AND OVER (WEIGHT-FOR-AGE)
Purse Purse:$200,000 (Plus Subscriptions totaling $21,500.00)
Post # Horses Eqpt. Owner Trainer Jockey Allotted Weight Declared Weight
1 PREACH TO ME(USA) T SIR DAVID SEALE EDeane SCM RicoWalcott 129 129
2 BAD ACTION(USA) MRS. GAY SMITH EWalcott Jr. JJones 125 125
3 DAYLIGHT EXPRESS(USA) LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR RPeirce AWard 129 129
4 PURE TEMPTATION(USA) BT LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR RPeirce JCrawford 129 129
5 PEACEFUL ENVOY(USA) T LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR RPeirce Scratched 125 125
6 STERWINS(can) T MR. EUGENE & MRS. LAURA MELNYK MCasse PHusbands BSS 129 129
7 SPICEY TIGER(USA) VT MRS. GAY SMITH EWalcott Jr. ABishop 129 129
8 BRIBON(USA) MRS. GAY SMITH EWalcott Jr. JMurtagh 129 129
9 AREUTALKINTOME MR. ATTIE JOSEPH III & MR. SAFFIE JOSEPH JNR. SJoseph Jnr. DHolland 118 118
10 GRACE CHAPEL(USA) LADY WILLIAMS ANunes RBowen 120 120
11 BIRD WATCH(USA)(Res 2) AYSHA SYNDICATE EDeane SCM – – – 125
12 APOSTLE MR. ELIAS HALOUTE & SIR CHARLES WILLIAMS ANunes ATrotman 122 122
13 JOHN BRIAN(USA) T SIR DAVID SEALE EDeane SCM RickeyWalcot 129 129
14 BOUNCEBAK LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR RPeirce RDos Ramos 117 117
DAILY RACING FORM IS COVERING THE RACE, as is THE BLOOD-HORSE:
Bribon, Sterwins vie for Gold Cup
By Jennifer Morrison
Bribon, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, and Sterwins, a multiple Grade 3 winner, top a field of 14 entered for the 29th Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup at the Garrison Savannah racecourse in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday. Both Bribon and Sterwins are owned by Barbados residents.
The 1 1/8-mile turf event, run over a right-handed course with tight turns, is worth $97,000 and is the most important race run in Barbados.
The field also includes Bad Action, a son of Brahms who won the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at the Meadowlands last fall, and last year’s Gold Cup winner, Daylight Express, who is one four horses in the field for owner Michael Taylor.
Bribon was purchased by Derrick Smith late in 2009 with the Gold Cup in mind. A 6-year-old gelding by Mark of Esteem, Bribon has won 9 of 20 starts, all at one mile or less, and finished off last season with a close second-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.
Top European rider Johnny Murtagh will ride Bribon from post 8.
READ MORE:
TOTALLY!
Totally Barbados gives you a litle insight on the history of horse racing on the island – it’s been a round for a long time and the track, Garrison Savannah, has held the Gold Cup for almost 30 years.
It says:
Thoroughbred Horse Racing in Barbados is staged at the historic Garrison Savannah which is less than two miles outside the capital, Bridgetown.
It has been the home of horse racing since the colonial days of 1845. The officers of the British Regiment who were stationed in Barbados, used what was then the parade ground to match their horses in races and the wealthy merchants and planters later joined them. The Barbados Turf Club, which regulates and promotes horse racing in Barbados, was established in 1905 and organizes three (3) seasons of racing per year. These meetings run from January to April; May to August and from October to December. The track is a 6 furlongs oval grass strip and races are run at distances of 5 furlongs (1000 meters), 5½ furlongs (1100 meters), 7.8 furlongs (1570 meters), 9 furlongs (1800 meters), 10 furlongs (2000 meters) and 11 Furlongs (2200 meters), with the horses running in a clockwise (right handed) direction. The system of handicapping is one which classifies horses from ‘A1’ to ‘G2’ class with ‘A1’ being the highest.
CHECK OUT TOTALLY BARBADOS AT: http://www.totallybarbados.com/
FROM THE NATION NEWS: Foreigners add spice Published on: 3/5/2010. By TYRONE EVELYN
TOMORROW is Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup Day, and nine Barbadian horses will be looking to turn back a strong challenge from three classy overseas-based animals.
The overseas invasion comprises Bad Action and Bribon, both owned by Gay Smith; and Sterwins, owned by Eugene Melnyk.
A win in tomorrow’s Gold Cup will be nothing new to these two owners, since both have already been successful in the event, reputably the most prestigious horse race in the region.
Smith won with Thady Quill in 2003, while Kathir provided Melnyk with his first and only win to date the following year (2004).
There were only four other occasions that the Gold Cup was won by a non-Barbadian horse.
READ MORE:
http://www.nationnews.com/news/sports/New-horse-racing-lead-copy-for-web
