Sandy Smith of Alliance Point Stables had plenty to be happy about at the end of the Premier’s Cup at Ellis Thomas Downs on Tuesday.
Mr. Smith’s horse, Bud White, put in a convincing performance at the track winning the Premier’s Cup and the $15,000 purse. However, Bud White didn’t just take the race he broke the track record of 1:56.4 minutes that was set in 2008 by Captain Slew by two seconds with a time of 1:54.4 minutes.
“He’s a great horse,” Mr. Smith said. “He had a good race and represented St. Thomas well. We’ll run against anyone, anywhere. The win is huge for us.”
The win was even more important symbolically for Bud White and Mr. Smith after the horse lost to Good Prospecting during the Governor’s Cup in St. Thomas in April. Good Prospecting also got the better of Bud White in June on Tortola when the horses took second and third, respectively.
“I’m excited for the win,” Mr. Smith said. “It definitely feels good to come here and take the win at the Premier’s Cup from Good Prospecting after what he did to us in St. Thomas at the Governor’s Cup. We’ve been having an amazing year. The second half of the year has been treating us very well. We had good races at St. Croix, St. Thomas and here.”
Blood in the Sand took the first race of the day for Tortola. St. Thomas’ Mr. Gold Prospect had a good day at the track taking the second race beating out Queteparce Cholito of Tortola for the win.
“The horse ran very good,” Mr. Gold Prospect’s jockey Juan Carlos Diaz said following the race. “The horse is very fast, but I held back until the end. I knew there was still something in the tank for the finish.”
All Country earned the second win of the day for Tortola with a time of 1:44.3” in the third race. All Country beat out Tiger Glider of St. Thomas, Khun Dan of St. Thomas and Gaffalione of Tortola who finished second, third and fourth, respectively.
Goodeveningofficer of St. Thomas topped Tortola’s Out of Wine to finish the fourth race in a time of 1:46.1.” Tortola swept the fifth race with Really Up Town winning in a time of 1:20.1.” Broken Home took second and Ease my Mind finished third.
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