Barbados Derby Contenders: Upsets to Watch in Part 2

In Part 1, I covered the key contenders going into the Barbados Derby: Guineas winner Mercedes; Breeders Stakes and Midsummer Classic winner Show Time; Marvel; and Delicia’s Angel.

In Part 2, I will focus on horses in the Derby who could upset the top four mentioned above.

Luscious from the Edward Walcott stable was at the same odds as the Midsummer Classic winner, 6/1. Luscious ended up third in the 1800-metre race, which was a vast improvement from her fifth place finish at the same trip in the Breeders Stakes, a prep race for the Midsummer.

Bred by Gay Smith, Luscious has never won a race, but has the title of Classic place horse. She finished second in the Barbados Guineas at 1570 metres, and third in the Midsummer Classic.

Even though Luscious had placed in two legs of the Barbados Triple Crown – the Guineas and Midsummer – it would be a huge upset if she was to win the Derby as a non-winner. Only one horse in the history of the Barbados Derby has won the famous classic as a maiden, Game of Chance, who defeated previously-unbeaten Dilemma over 50 years ago. Dilemma had not lost in eight career starts in the 1972 running of the Derby.

Moschara, owned and bred by the father-and-son team of David and Darren Matthews, ran her worst race to date in the Midsummer Classic, weaking to seventh, from third place in the Guineas and second in the Breeders Stakes.

Queen of the South, a half-sister to 2016 Barbados Derby winner Northern Star, ran the race of her life to finish second in the Midsummer Classic, a great improvement after down-the-field efforts in her seven races before.

By double Sandy Lane Gold Cup winner Dorsett, Queen of The South is out of the mare Aquarius Star, making her a half sister to last year’s Midsummer Classic winner Matilda, as she will look to equal her brother Northern Star and win the Derby.

Owned by Starr Racing and trained by Andrew Nunes, Queen of the South has won once in her career, last year as a two-year-old.

Mrs Gay Smith’s Emperor, a 3-year-old colt by Tapit’s Code by Majestical, stalked the pace in second place behind Jaxon to overtake the leader, and ran on a winner on June 28 in just his fourth career start.

Emperor, trained by Edward Walcott Jr, comes from the famous Saddler’s Well bloodline, through his dam Majestical, as Majestical‘s great grandsire Fairy King is the full brother to Saddler’s Wells.

Saddler’s Wells has produced two English Derby winners, in Galileo and High Chaparral.

(KL)