A Grade 2-placed horse, known for earning over $500,000, has been nominated for the highly anticipated Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup on March 2.
Mrs Gay Smith, a prominent figure in the world of horse racing, is vying for her fourth Sandy Lane Gold Cup (Bar-1) victory, with her last triumph dating back to 2011. As part of her quest, she has introduced a fresh face to her stable and nominated this new acquisition for the upcoming Caribbean classic.
Smith, the winner of the 2011 Gold Cup with Zoom, the 2006 edition with Sharp Impact, and the 2003 running with Thady Quill, has recently added Jerry The Nipper to her roster. Jerry The Nipper, a son of Liam's Map who has achieved a Grade 2 placement, was acquired from owner Mike Repole. In his most recent outing, the gelding finished ninth, a mere 4 1/4 lengths behind Warm Heart, in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on January 27. Currently in quarantine in Florida, Jerry The Nipper is one of the twelve horses on the final subscription list for the Gold Cup.
Initially, Smith had considered millionaire Stone Age, a son of Galileo, as a potential contender for the Gold Cup. However, Jerry The Nipper, a seven-year-old gelding with earnings totalling $544,000, has secured the spot previously held by Stone Age. Smith also has another hopeful for the Gold Cup, Portfolio Company, a Kitten's Joy gelding. In a recent race over 1 mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta at Gulfstream on January 27, Portfolio Company finished fifth, narrowly missing victory by two lengths in a $100,000 handicap.
Jerry The Nipper boasts a record of 21 starts, including six wins, four second-place finishes, and seven third-place finishes. This New York-bred gelding has achieved stakes placements on six occasions, with his most notable performance being a near-victory in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream on December 30.
Trainer Todd Pletcher made the decision to equip Jerry The Nipper with blinkers for the Pegasus race. After closely tracking the front-running Main Event and maintaining a swift pace with fractions of 46.80 and 1:09.40, the gelding slipped back in the middle of the stretch.
The final subscription for the 'about' 1 1/8-mile turf race on the left-handed Garrison Savannah track near Bridgetown has confirmed the participation of twelve horses. Among the contenders, Ken Ramsey, who expressed his determination to secure his fourth Gold Cup victory in 2024 during an interview with the Horseracing Journeys YouTube show last year, has nominated four horses. One of his nominees is Yes This Time, a Grade 3 winner trained by Peter Miller in California. Although Yes This Time has won six out of 25 races, the horse has not tasted victory since the summer of 2021. Ramsey claimed ownership of Yes This Time for $80,000 in July 2023, and the horse finished third in the Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs in its first race under his ownership.
Another contender from Ramsey's stable is Cash Equity (FR), a six-time winner who also claimed $80,000. Cash Equity showcased its speed in the $100,000 Carousel Club Handicap on January 27, finishing fourth with a strong closing run. Ramsey's Spy Novel, sired by Biosterous, was claimed for $25,000 from Mark Casse and owner Gary Barber on January 1 last year. This two-time winner recently secured a second-place finish in a 1 3/8-mile optional claiming race on turf at Gulfstream under the guidance of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
In addition to the aforementioned contenders, a late nominee to the Gold Cup, the sprinter Cotton (sired by Hightail), is also nominated for the Spa Sprint on the same day. Ramsey is not only the breeder of Portfolio Company but also of Pat'ssewingmachine (sired by We Miss Artie), who emerged victorious in the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes at the Garrison last week, representing the Fun in the Sun Racing group. Trained by Ted Holder from Woodbine, Pat'ssewingmachine will be Canada's representative in the Gold Cup.