ANDERSON WARD has been elevated to the status of Barbados Turf Club’s top trainer for the 2012 horse racing season.
Ward’s success came as a result of the disqualification of the then leading two-year-old filly Nekitta, who failed a urine sample after easily winning the William “Bill” Marshall DFC SCM Memorial two-year-old Creole Classic on December 8, 2012.
Nekitta was also stripped of the Diamonds International Stakes And Trophy Condition race, which took place on December 26.
After the changes to the results, Janak’s Gold was placed first in the December 8 race with Ward’s High Tide taking second while the December 26 race went to the Koh-I-Noor with Devil’s Khandy second and High Tide third.
The second and third place finishes did the trick for Ward as it pushed him past the original winner Andrew Nunes by a mere $350.
The outcome saw a reversal in the top two positions of the overall championship and allowed Ward of Blue Diamond Racing to claim back-to-back championships.
The final tally for trainers showed Ward with 23 wins, 36 seconds and 23 thirds from 248 runners and total earnings of $527 287 with second place Andrew Nunes having 25 wins, 21 seconds and 27 thirds from 185 starters and earnings of $526 937.
Third place went to Victor Cheeseman with 20 wins, 22 seconds and 20 thirds from 182 starters, yielding $396 924 in earnings while Liz Deane finished fourth 16 wins, 12 seconds and 11 thirds from 111 starters and earnings of $396 588.
The trainer’s championship, like the owner’s title, is decided by earnings and not wins.
Noticeably in the third season, Ward failed to get a spot among the top five trainers and had five second place finishes.
The amended results only impacted trainer Cheeseman purse wise. He was still able to capture the third season title, having recorded six wins, eight seconds and six thirds from 42 starters, which earned $120 088.
Jonathon Simpson moved into second with six wins, two seconds and five thirds from 38 starters and earnings of $97 492. Nunes booked third place with seven wins, four seconds and four thirds from 45 horses sent out, bringing him earnings of $91 119.
