Five of the country’s top thoroughbreds have been confirmed for Sunday’s staging of the Governor General’s Cup, the final leg of the Antigua Turf Club’s Triple Crown Series, at the Cassada Gardens Race Track.
Triple Crown first-timer, Baba Yega, is one of the
listed five and will compete against Big Deal, She’s
Sensational, Syrian Soca
and Lynn’s Image for the $9,500.00 winner’s purse up for grabs.
Trainer for Baba Yega, Hanson Richards, said his goal is to upset the field.
“I am very excited but more nervous than excited because going up against Neil, Super D, Clancy and Rocco who have won in the past and so they have the experience so I am just going in there now to upset them and hopefully get added to the list as one of the winners of the triple crown,” he said.
President of the turf club and trainer for Syrian Soca, Neil Cochrane, said tensions are building ahead of Sunday’s meet given that the event had been postponed twice owing to inclement weather.
“All kinds of things have slowed down the final leg of our Triple Crown but we are now moving in the right direction. We are just a few days away but I see some clubs and hope the clouds are just blessing us but we are very happy and Syrian Soca loves it anyway, it could be fast, it could be slow, it not matter and form the turf club’s perspective we are getting ready,” he said.
Syrian Soca captured the first leg of the Triple Crown Series, the Antigua Black Pineapple Stakes while the second leg, the Sir Cuthwin Lake Super Sprint, ended in a dead heat between Massacre and Mulatto. (Neto Baptiste)