New date set for Triple Crown’s first leg

The first leg of the Antigua Turf Club’s (ATC) Triple Crown Series will be held later this month.
The race, originally slated for April 16, was postponed owing to consistent rainfall but according to President, Neil Cochrane, fans won’t have to wait much longer for the staging of the Black Pineapple Stakes.
“Sunday, April 30 — next Sunday — we will have the first leg of the Antigua Triple Crown Series in the Black Pineapple Stakes which will go for eight furlongs, and five horses entered to go and we are looking forward to that. The weather seems to have settled and the future outlook also seems to be stable so we have considered that,” he said.
Five horses are set to contest the first leg of the Triple Crown. However, Demolition Man, the only horse to have won the event to date, had been ruled out owing to injury. It is unclear as to whether or not the current delay offers the thoroughbred the needed recovery time.
Cochrane said the Turf Club is hopeful that additional horses will now signal their intent to contest any of the six races carded for the meet.
“This may actually lend itself to one or two additional horses coming and it may also cause you to lose a horse or two but we are going to think positive and say we are going to have new additions as opposed to any losses,” he said.
“I do not believe that the energy and the festive nature of individuals could have peaked as much as it did for Easter Monday. We hope to replicate it but we are not sure,” the turf boss added.
For the Black Pineapple Stakes, U Better Believe It will race from gate 1, Chief of Staff will emerge from gate 2, Scrumpum will gallop from gate 3, First Lady will head out of gate 4 and Lil Miss Perfect will speed from gate 5.