BARBADOS HAS even more of a stake in this Woodbine season.
Fast-rising colt Pyrite Mountain, bred by local trainer and breeder Sean Hall, has been installed as one of the favourites for the prestigious Queen’s Plate after recently making huge strides on the Canadian circuit.
The much-talked about three-year-old has been the rave this season at Woodbine after stunning champion horse Uncaptured under Bajan legend Patrick Husbands in the CAN$116 600 (BDS$220 533) Wando Stakes two weeks ago.
Rallying from the back of the pack, Pyrite Mountain stormed past then frontrunner Uncaptured at the 16th pole and registered an impressive one-and-a-half length victory.
“You beat a champion horse, so all of a sudden you become a big boy,” said Hall, who is currently home in Barbados following a lengthy career in Canada.
“So right now he’s being listed as one of the top horses for the Queen’s Plate and I can only hope he does well there and continues to do well because he a classic-type horse.”
It’s the second such big payday for Pyrite Mountain, who made his grand entry to the big stage last December by capturing the CAN$125 000 (BDS$236 420) Kingarvie Stakes in a photo finish with Power Phil.
This time Husbands was in the saddle as Pyrite Mountain made a valiant run for the post to edge out pacesetting Power Phil.
The colt’s recent run of success has been somewhat of a surprise for Hall, though, as the 47-year-old never expected to breed a horse of such stakes-winning calibre.
“He’s definitely the best horse I’ve bred so far because he’s a classic-type horse, and you expect the big boys to breed colts like this one,” said Hall, the son of Sir Wesley Hall.
“It’s still early going, but I hope he carries on and continues in this vein,” added Hall, a jockey at the Garrison Savannah in the 1980s.
The CAN$1 million (BDS$1.89 million) Queen’s Plate is slated to run off July 7 at Woodbine. (JM)
