UPDATE: Really Uptown defeats the 'Big Demon' Slevin in St. Croix
![Thanksgiving race card for today November 25, 2012 [right-click and open in new window to view larger size]. Image:supplied](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/800x_t_Thanksgiving_Classsic_horseraceing_card_Nov_25_02.jpg)
Really Uptown finished in a new track record time of 1:29:00s flat ahead of Slevin and Burn the Harp.
The first quarter of the race was run in a blistering 23.3s by the Tortola horse who led by as much as 2½ lengths for most of the race. The horse was ridden by jockey Alberto Soto.
Co-owner of L&B Stables Letty Hodge said "I feel really good, I knew my horse could have done it and he proved it to them."
She added that everyone believed the horse was a sprinter and could only win in a race of up to 6 furlongs but was very happy that he proved himself at the distance.
"We'll see what's next... once he comes back and my trainer tells me what other distance we'll do, then we'll go forward with that," Mrs Hodge said.
She also expressed that the race wasn't about the jockey as many suspected but was always about the type of horse and their ability to run the distance. Slevin was ridden by hall of famer jockey Kent Desomeaux.
The horseowner thanked the people of St Croix for their hospitality and congratulated the owner of Slevin who she said promised to come to Tortola to give a "big race" just in the same way she had given the fans in St Croix.
Meanwhile, commenting on the race, Randall "Doc" James said, "Slevin was content to stay behind... he made a good run but you're not going to give a good horse like that the opportunity to get away from you. They should have gone head to head the moment they left the gate."
see earlier story below:
UPDATE: Really Uptown & Slevin in hot clash at St Croix today, Nov 25!
Mouth-watering Thanksgiving races heat up at the Randall 'Doc' James race track
Two heavyweight horses, Really Uptown of L&B Stables and the 'Big Demon' Slevin of St. Croix, are set to clash in the feature race of the Thanksgiving Day Classic horse-race card in St Croix today, November 25, 2012.
Horseracing fans are expected to be in for a mouth-watering treat as clashes get underway from 11:30 A.M. in what is expected to be an action packed card.
The main event of the card, the Turkey Ball Stakes, runs off at 4:30 P.M. for a whopping purse in excess of $10,000 at the Randall 'Doc' James race track.
Owner of Really Uptown, Mrs Letty Hodge said Slevin is “one of the top horses now in St Croix” and expressed that she feels very confident about the chances of her horse going into the race since this was the type of race distance her horse liked.
According to Mr Dennis Brow, promoter of horse races and the General Manager of TraxCo Inc in St Croix, there were initially three Tortola horses scheduled for the feature 7½ furlong race, including Good Prospecting and Broken Home.
However, Broken Home picked up an injury recently and was forced to withdraw as a result. Owner of Good Prospecting, Mr Lesmore Smith, offered to comment on his horse’s absence but had not done so up to post time.
The race will now feature Slevin, Really Uptown and Burn the Harp.
The highly anticipated Thanksgiving Classic card is expected to feature twelve exciting races, including the Big Jah Rule part II as well as the second leg of the Native Triple Crown Classic, the VI Lottery.
The card will also feature the Spring Classic race which is known as the Wadada.
President of the Virgin Islands’ Horse Owner’s Association and owner of Good Prospecting, Mr Lesmore Smith, recently told local talk show 'Sports Talk' that transportation via barge for horses to get from one island to another has become another challenge to inter-islands horse-racing.
Mr. Smith had said the cost to ship horses via barge from St. Thomas to Tortola is around thirty three hundred dollars ($3300.00) so it’s cheaper for St. Thomas to go to St. Croix to participate in races there than to come to Tortola.
The President and owner of Top Priority Stables told the sports talk show that when St. Thomas does not attend races on Tortola some may see it as a boycott, however, the cost of transporting their horses to Tortola are most often the real issue.
It remains unclear however, whether the issue of transportation of horses is the reason why Good Prospecting and several other Tortola horses are not taking part in Sunday's races in St. Croix.
See full race card above at right.
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31 Responses to “UPDATE: Really Uptown defeats the 'Big Demon' Slevin in St. Croix”
why didn't you take your horse to St Croix?