HOT ON the heels of winning his first Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup two Saturdays ago at the Garrison Savannah, jockey Jalon Samuel is set to make his first appearance on American soil.
Samuel, who piloted the Sir David Seale-owned and Liz Deane-trained Dancin David to a four-length victory, will once again be clad in the black body, red sleeves and black cap of Hopefield Stable.
The Barbadian champion rider of 2010 is set to ride Sir David’s Town Of Town in Race 6 on today’s ten-race card for another Barbadian trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr, at Gulfstream Park in Florida.
Town Of Town, who has been victorious at Woodbine Race Course in Canada, has been shipped to Gulfstream for the winter break.
The five-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding is entered in a US$25 000 Claiming event over six-and-a-half furlongs on the main track.
Racing from post position No. 6, Samuel will rub shoulders with Julien Leparoux, one of America’s finest journeymen, along with Edgar Prado, the winner of a Kentucky Derby, and Jamaican Rajiv Maragh, who is rapidly making a name for himself.
Samuel, whose dream is to win a Breeders’ Cup and ride in the United States, also enjoyed riding in Britain last year.
Last May 2 he rode Adone for Barbadian trainer Sir Michael Stoute in a Class 5 event over 1 ½ miles at Windsor Race Course.
In that race – the Think Holiday Book Hayes and Jarvis Median Auction Maiden Stakes – Adone and Samuel finished fifth. The Irish-bred horse went off at seven to one in the 12-horse field.
Samuel has enjoyed great success in Trinidad and Tobago since gaining his apprentice licence.
He also did a stint in Martinique.
Trainer Joseph, meanwhile, has been steadily making a name for himself in the United States since 2010. His small stable has been doing remarkably well – from 57 starters, he has achieved 11 wins, seven seconds and ten thirds.
Joseph’s colours of predominately yellow body with royal blue epaulets, yellow sleeves and yellow and royal blue striped cap have been holding their own at tracks such as Tampa Bay Downs, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park.
He flew into Barbados on Gold Cup Day to see his six-year-old part-owned Areutalkintome make his comeback after being sidelined by injury. The David Yearwood-trained horse did not disappoint as he recorded a short head victory in the ninth edition of the Sandy Lane Spa Sprint Stakes & Trophy over 1 100 metres under jockey Samuel.
It was Areutalkintome’s 12th career win from 18 starts; he also has four second-place finishes.
Race fans will be following the success of the Barbadian trio with keen interest as they proudly fly the national flag.
