PATRICK HUSBANDS COLLECTS 4TH BARBADOS GOLD CUP
wins all 3 stakes on card, 1st jockey to do so
He may have lost most of 2013 due to a bad injury and he may not be nominated for a Sovereign Award for 2013 for the first time in many years, but PATRICK HUSBANDS put on a show for his hometown fans on Saturday.
Back in Barbados for the country’s big race, the SANDY LANE GOLD CUP, Husbands won all 3 stakes events on the Garrison Savannah grass including the Gold Cup on Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s MAJOR MARVEL.
MAJOR MARVEL, an 8yo son of Bernstein – Ms Isadorable, owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, easily won the 33rd SANDY LANE GOLD CUP. The bay gelding track speedy pacesetter Areutalkintome, took over with just over two furlongs left to run and won by about 5 lengths in 1:49 2/5. Trinidad shipper NOMINEE a son of Awesome Again, was 2nd and DASHING DAVID, by Lemon Drop Kid, was third.
Ridden by PATRICK HUSBANDS, who lives in Brampton, ON, MAJOR MARVEL was a $10,000 claim from Maggi Moss at Churchill Downs. Before that he raced at Woodbine for breeder Richard Schultz and trainer Laurie Silvera, the Tucci Stable and Sid Attard and others. The gelding has won more than a dozen races for the Ramseys and trainer Mike Maker and about $500,000.
Husbands also won the Spa Sprint on VITALITY and the Tanglewood Stakes on KENDAL MOON. Major Marvel is the 4th Gold Cup winner for Patrick Husbands.
from BARBADOS ADVOCATE:
Major Marvel turns up big time for owners Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey
Leading breeders and owners in North America, Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey, decided that they would like to have a runner in the XXXIII Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, an International race open to 3-year-olds & over (Weight-for-Age) going 1800 metres, so they brought the 8-year-old bay gelding Major Marvel to our shores, and he certainly came up big time, slamming his opposition as he pleased.
Leaving the gate, the first to show was Areutalkintome, followed by the H & M owned, Shared Adventure, trained by Boston John and ridden by Kenny John, with Patrick Husbands on the Michael Maker trained Major Marvel on his inside.
Turning into the home stretch for the first time Husbands allowed Areutalkintome to cut the early fractions, while he sat two lengths behind on the rail inside of Shared Adventure. Following them was the Antonio Navarro owned, Kenneth De Silva trained, Nominee, representing Trinidad & Tobago, with Nobel Abrego in the saddle.
http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=3Dlocal&NewsID=35220
SPEED KILLS
It is no secret that speed horses win a lot more races than any other style of racehorse.
On Saturday, there was a tremendous illustration of this fact as most of the big races were won by horses with big speed, solid stamina and rivals who simply did not want to get involved early.
The Canadian results were only so-so except for UNCAPTURED, who ran one of the best races of his career to be 3rd in the Gulfstream Park Handicap behind Belmont Stakes winner PALACE MALICE and Travers winner GOLDEN TICKET.
The son of Lion Heart, Prince of Wales winner last year and Horse of the Year as a 2yo, actually surged to the lead off the turn for home but he could not hold off the rivals to his inside and outside.
He posted a career best Beyer Figure of 104, losing by 1/2 a length in 1:33 4/5.
The TAMPA BAY DERBY was won by recent maiden winner RING WEEKEND, by Tapit out of Free the Magic, by Cryptoclearance.
The 6th foal of the winning mare to race, RING WEEKEND is a chestnut gelding, a $310,000 yearling purchase and his owners are St Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds. Graham Motion trains the gelding who was making his 6th career start. He posted a 94 Beyer in his gate to wire win.
CONQUEST TITAN, 2nd in the Holy Bull to Cairo Prince, was a mild 4th with an 88 Beyer Figure (his best Beyer) while Canadian-bred MATADOR was 5th with an 85 Beyer Figure.
COLTIMUS PRIME reportedly did not like the dirt surface and was next to last while Ricky Griffith trainee TUSCAN GETAWAY was virtually eased up.
More on the Tampa Bay Derby from Tampa Bay Downs:
Daniel Centeno rode Ring Weekend, who toured the mile-and-a-sixteenth in 1:43.71 and paid $30 as the third-longest shot in the 10-horse field.
“We were all set to go to Laurel, but Graham called me Monday – we have the kind of relationship where we both kind of test each other out – to see if either of us was strong either way,” said Terry Finley, President of West Point Thoroughbreds. “Then we got word Kiaran (McLaughlin’s) horse, Baratti, was running at Laurel, and on paper he has run faster than all these, so we decided to enter here. Funny how those things work out.”
Indeed. From maiden-winner status before the race, Ring Weekend has vaulted into Triple Crown consideration with the victory.
Motion has no idea where he will run Ring Weekend next, but agreed it is a nice dilemma to face. “Really, I haven’t looked past today for him,” said the trainer of 2011 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands winner Animal Kingdom.
The victory was one of two on the Festival Day 34 card for Motion, who also trains 5-year-old mare Cloud Scapes, the winner of the Grade III, $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes on the turf. She was ridden by Erick Rodriguez.
French-bred Testa Rossi, a 3-year-old filly trained by Chad Brown and ridden by past Tampa Bay Downs leading jockey Jose Lezcano, won the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks on the turf in impressive fashion and will be headed to Keeneland, perhaps for the Grade I Ashland.
But it was Ring Weekend and five-time Tampa Bay Downs leading jockey Daniel Centeno, who won the 2009 Tampa Bay Derby on Musket Man, who stole the show before an overflow crowd of 10,359. Total all-sources handle was $10,249,574.95.
Ring Weekend opened up a six-length lead on the backstretch and had more than enough through the stretch to hold off Vinceremos, denying the runner-up a chance at the Tampa Bay Downs Million Dollar Derby Bonus (awarded to a horse that sweeps the Sam F. Davis, Tampa Bay Derby and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands).
Ring Weekend earned 50 qualifying points on the road to the May 3 Kentucky Derby.
“I wouldn’t say my confidence was high, but I really thought he was legit,” said Motion, who said Ring Weekend turned around after being gelded following his third start as a 2-year-old at Keeneland. “I took him to Saratoga to try to break his maiden (last August), that’s how much I liked him.
“I think gelding him got his mind on the game. I just left the ride to Daniel. I knew he could take advantage of the post position because the inside was good today and told him to just make sure he broke well and to put him where he was comfortable.
“I think the others kind of left him alone because they possibly didn’t consider him a legit horse and he got away with it,” Motion added.
“When the jockey looks behind him that much, you feel like he has a lot left. I could never have anticipated him winning like that.”
An emotional Centeno kept his composure as well as possible, but you could tell this victory was extra special. He had ridden Cousin Stephen to a third-place finish in the Grade III Sam F. Davis, but when Javier Castellano came up to ride that one today, Centeno was left without a mount – until Ring Weekend entered his life.
FLASHY CALIFORNIA CHROME on the way up
Whopping 107 Beyer for San Felipe winner
FROM CALIFORNIA CUP DAY – The Lucky Pulpit 3yo CALIFORNIA CHROME led all the way to win the San Felipe on Saturday at Santa Anita. his 6th win. KELLY CARLSON PHOTO FROM CAL CUP DAY
Foaled at HARRIS THOROUGHBREDS in California, CALIFORNIA CHROME is well named. HARRIS THOROUGHBREDS PHOTO
AND OF COURSE, THE DUDE!
GAME ON DUDE – 3 time winner of the Grade 1 SANTA ANITA HANDICAP.
It is a remarkable achievement for thi Awesome Again gelding, especially since he was coming off one of the worst efforts of his career.
By BETH HARRIS
AP Racing Writer
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) _ On the same track where Breeders’ Cup glory has eluded him, Game On Dude won the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap by 1¾ lengths Saturday, becoming the first three-time champion in the race’s 77-year history. <
Game On Dude snapped a three-race skid with his victory against seven rivals, including Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge, who beat him last year in the BC Classic at Santa Anita. In that race, Game On Dude finished ninth after ending up seventh in 2012.
“My wife, Jill, is pretty tough on me,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “She said, `Don’t you run that horse if you don’t think he can win.'”
Game On Dude didn’t disappoint Baffert or the 7-year-old gelding’s legion of fans at his home track, with 27,121 in attendance. He ran 1¼ miles in 1:58.17 under Hall of Famer Mike Smith and paid $9.60, $3.60 and $3.60 as the 7-2 third choice in the wagering. The final clocking shaded Affirmed’s 1979 Big ’Cap time of 1:58.60.
“There’s a lot of people who came to put their $2 on Game On Dude,” said Baffert, who earned his fifth Big `Cap victory. Game On Dude also won the race last year and in 2011.
MORE CANADIAN STUFF
Trainer READE BAKER is 11 wins away from 1000 career wins after sending out GOLDEN RIFLE for Stronach Stables to win Saturday.
GOLDEN RIFLE won his maiden at Gulfstream Park on Saturday for Stronach Stables and trainer READE BAKER (white hat). GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO
WOODBINE WORKOUTS begin
ON RAINBOW BRIDGE, 3 furlongs in 38 breezing on the first day of workouts at Woodbine for 2014 – WEG/MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
Stakes winner ON RAINBOW BRIDGE and classy 10-year-old gelding RONALDINO were among the couple of dozen horses who worked who worked on Saturday at Woodbine, the first day of timed workouts for 2014.
A handful of horses worked this morning.
MARCH OBS SALE
ONTARIO BREDS IN THE CATALOGUE – **Gallop show times
OUT 17 C Tale of Ekati Twice as Sweet Ontario Scanlon Training Center, Agent III 10
OUT 53 Y F Harlan’s Holiday Allison’s Pride Ontario Eisaman Equine, Agent 7
10 2/5 74 C Speightstown Banga Ridge Ontario Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent I 5
10 4/5 77 Y F Scat Daddy Baytree Ontario Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent VIII 5
10 1/5 135 C Distorted Humor Endless Journey Ontario Scanlon Training Center, Agent I 10
OUT 224 Y F Medaglia d’Oro Lady Charade Ontario Classic Bloodstock (Danzel Brendemuehl), Agent 9
10 1/5 229 Y C Blame La Suena Ontario Eisaman Equine, Agent 7
OUT 238 Y C Old Fashioned Lochrea Ontario SAB Sales (Scott A. Bergsrud), Agent II 2
OUT 294 F Mineshaft Mystical Beauty Ontario Eddie Woods, Agent LXXII 11
10 2/5 296 C Stormy Atlantic Nicki Knew Ontario SAB Sales (Scott A. Bergsrud), Agent II 2
10 1/5 319 Y C Hard Spun Penny Perfect Ontario Halcyon Hammock Farm, Agent II 1
10 3/5 324 F Macho Uno Pop Princess Ontario Scanlon Training Center, Agent I 10
OUT 346 C Street Boss Reggae Rose Ontario Classic Bloodstock (Danzel Brendemuehl), Agent 9
10 2/5 362 C Speightstown Santerra Ontario Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XI 8
10 2/5 398 F Exchange Rate Staid Ontario Scanlon Training Center, Agent I 10
