At the conclusion of the Barbados Turf Club’s second racing season, several horses through outstanding performances have emerged as future stars going into the third racing season.
The five top performers were Shared Adventure, Little Man Arran, Discreetwon, Aristodemus and Summer Time.
Several important stakes and trophy races are scheduled for the upcoming season. Among them are the BTBA Breeders Classic over 1 800 metres, the Diamonds International Stakes and the Victor Challenor Stakes, both races over 1 570 metres.
Then in the New Year the Coolmoore Home Of Champions Stakes, the Sandy Lane Spa Sprint Stakes, the Tanglewood Stakes and the Sandy Lane Gold Cup are all races that the above mentioned five could dominate.
Shared Adventure recorded three very impressive victories from four starts.
The H and M-owned and Boston John-trained colt started with the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Company Stakes and Trophy over 1 570 metres.
He rounded off his season campaign with sprint victories in the Heineken Sprint Stakes and Trophy for horses rated 90-110 and the BTC Sprint for horses rated 97-120 – both races over 1 100 metres.
His lone defeat came on a soft track in the Ui Management Incorporated Trophy Handicap, where he put in another sterling effort carrying 130 pounds.
At the moment he looks invincible, sprinting arguably the best in the country, and over 1 570 metres he has been awesome. Bred for speed, he is such a classy colt, and route races could be on his agenda as time progresses.
Little Man Arran, trained by Jonathon Simpson, also recorded three victories recently from six starts.
The Bill and Haley Blevins colt clearly has a preference for the hard ground and has shown he is above horses rated less than 100.
He won the Champions Against Breast Cancer Trophy Handicap for horses rated 73-95 over 1 800 meters.
He then stepped into an 88-100 bunch in the Lady Miriam Handicap over 1 570 metres before closing off his season with a demolition of horses rated 77-100 in the BTC Stayers Handicap over 1 800 metres.
He will have to improve more if he is to have this success against horses the likes of Shared Adventure, Apostle, Dancin David and Zoom.
Discreetwon has come to hand at a very important time. Once trainer Roger Parravicino can keep him sound, he looks a live threat in the route races to come.
The colt impressively won the Emancipation Day Handicap for horses rated 68-90 over 1 800 metres.
He took the Tiarah Handicap over 1 100 metres for non-winners of three as he effortlessly went by his opponents.
He appears very versatile and would be the perfect horse for the Raizman brothers, who have endured hard luck with some very promising importees in the past.
Aristodemus has only two victories under his belt – one last season – but it was the manner in which he took the Ui Management Incorporated Trophy Handicap in defeating Shared Adventure.
The win by the Liz Deane-trained colt signals he is on the right route towards winning big races.
When one looks at her three starts last season, Summer Time has to be respected for her efforts in the three jewels of the Triple Crown – third in the Barbados Guineas over 1 570 metres, winning the Barbados Midsummer Creole Classic over 1 800 metres and a stout second in the Barbados Derby over 2 000 metres.
Owners X and X and trainer Kenneth Stanton have their hands on a special filly who can continue to make local breeders and race fans proud.