Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

UPDATE: Really Uptown well on his way to Triple Crown Glory! [Photo display included]

- Fans say “Slevin who?”
Really Uptown showed an amazing turn of speed to romp home by 12 lengths in the first leg of the VI Triple Crown. Photo credit: Charlie Cackson/VINO
A gate malfunction nearly ruined the Axel Ritter Special, but Lesmore Smith ensured action would be taken to replace the ageing machinery. Photo credit: Charlie Jackson/VINO
A gate malfunction nearly ruined the Axel Ritter Special, but Lesmore Smith ensured action would be taken to replace the ageing machinery. Photo credit: Charlie Jackson/VINO
Really Uptown blazed to victory in the first leg of the VI Triple Crown Challenge and ran a race of its own as no horse was up to the task of giving any competition. Really Uptown won by at least ten lengths in an incredible race today January 13, 2013. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO
Really Uptown blazed to victory in the first leg of the VI Triple Crown Challenge and ran a race of its own as no horse was up to the task of giving any competition. Really Uptown won by at least ten lengths in an incredible race today January 13, 2013. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO
Jockey Alberto Soto poses with the Turtle Dove Classic trophy for winning the first leg of the VI Triple Crown Challenge on the back of Really Uptown of L&B Stables. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO
Jockey Alberto Soto poses with the Turtle Dove Classic trophy for winning the first leg of the VI Triple Crown Challenge on the back of Really Uptown of L&B Stables. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
Photo: VINO
The feature race of the VI Triple Crown Challenge first leg at Ellis Thomas Downs today, January 13, 2013 will be among favourite Really Uptown of L&B Stables, Good Prospecting of Top Priority Racing Stables, Twisted Dreams and Sweet Sight of St. Thomas and Gato Paso of St. Croix. Photo: VINO/File
The feature race of the VI Triple Crown Challenge first leg at Ellis Thomas Downs today, January 13, 2013 will be among favourite Really Uptown of L&B Stables, Good Prospecting of Top Priority Racing Stables, Twisted Dreams and Sweet Sight of St. Thomas and Gato Paso of St. Croix. Photo: VINO/File
Good Prospecting (seen with owner, Lesmore Smith) is once again coming in as the underdog in today's (January 13, 2013) feature race. Mr Smith believes anyone horse has a chance at winning. Photo:VINO
Good Prospecting (seen with owner, Lesmore Smith) is once again coming in as the underdog in today's (January 13, 2013) feature race. Mr Smith believes anyone horse has a chance at winning. Photo:VINO
Champion horse from St. Thomas Khun Dan (right) will feature in the 4th race of the day- the 1 Mile for Class B & C Horses. Photo: VINO/File
Champion horse from St. Thomas Khun Dan (right) will feature in the 4th race of the day- the 1 Mile for Class B & C Horses. Photo: VINO/File
SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI – Any lingering doubts over the pedigree and speed of Really Uptown were firmly put to bed by an astonishing performance in the 1st leg of the V.I. Triple Crown at Ellis Thomas Downs on Sunday January 13, 2013.

Many insiders voiced the opinion that the horse, described by Trainer Antonio Codero “as the best in the Caribbean”, is only a sprinter, but now they have to eat their words as Really Uptown put on the afterburners just past the second bend and sped home to win the 1 1/8th mile Turtle Dove Classic, the 1st leg of the Triple Crown, by double digit lengths in a time of 1 49 and 2/5th’s.

Just for the record Really Uptown has now also won over 1 mile, 7 ½ furlongs and 6 furlongs including victories on St Croix, St Thomas and at home

Gato Paso came home 2nd, Good Prospecting 3rd and Sweet Sight 4th, but such was the margin of victory that they may as well have come round the final bend and headed straight back to the stables!

“Oh yes!” exclaimed owner Letty Hodge “he has proven himself over and over again that he is the best”

The victory was so emphatic that Slevin and St Croix race fans will be having sleepless nights before the second leg and their St Thomas counterparts will still be in a state of shock by the third leg.

A whole lot of newly converted admirers and fans of the horse are already claiming the Triple Crown is coming home again! “I’m thinking the same way many of the crowd is thinking, I’m taking him to St Croix next, I’m going to give the fans the best we can with the horse, but yes I’m thinking to bring home the Triple Crown!” Mrs Hodge exclaimed.

Cordero was equally as ecstatic “the horse ran good, he’s in good condition now and will give plenty problems to the horses in the second leg and right now he’s the best horse in the Islands and the Caribbean”

Gato Paso had given Really Uptown an early scare, but as Cordero explained, “we approached the race slightly differently to usual. Gato Paso ran really hard early; we told the Jockey to slip in behind if that happened and go easy until Uptown got his second wind.”

And boy did he get a second wind!

The 1st race of the day saw Walk the Tiger lead from gate to post in the Eileen Parsons Classic to win in 1:20 and 3. Quetoparace Cholito finished the 6 furlong race in 2nd whilst Power Ten came home third.

The 2nd race, the 6 ½ furlong, Oliver Cills Showdown, had the added amusement of an un mounted horse racing around inside the paddock, joining in the fun as debutant, Drink at last Call, out of St Croix led all the way round to win in a time of 1:22 and 4. Tormento was 2nd then Good Boy Daddy, favoured to win by most punters (if such a thing was allowed).

The 3rd race, the Axel Ritter Special, was marred by gate problems rearing their ugly head again. This time Glorious Memory, owned by L and B stables, burst out through a half way stuck gate to dismount his jockey and tear off around the downs.

Unperturbed by a little extra exercise Alberto Soto remounted and pushed Blakes Lucky Penny all the way over 1 mile before finishing second behind the Lesmore Smith owned debutant. Blakes Lucky Penny won in a time of 1:48 and True Essence came home third.

Lesmore Smith was a proud winner, but also apologetic to the fans for the mishap at the gate “like everything else you want the best out the horse racing it was an exciting race, but (as a member of the Horse Owners Association) we are sorry for the gate problems. We are trying to get a new gate as this one is pretty old and needs replacing. We are going to continue to improve on what we are doing here at the Ellis Thomas downs for the fans and everyone involved.”

The final race, before the big one, saw Broken Home romp to victory in the 1 mile Patsy Lake Invitational over Khun Dhan in a time of 1:48 and 1.

The crowd may have been smaller than expected, but the excitement of Really Uptown’s win more than made up for the lack of numbers in the stands. If you were there and blinked you almost missed it, but for those who made the effort the memory of Really Uptown galloping at top speed down the back straight, round the final bend and down the home stretch  will live with you for a long long time.

The Legacy has begun and there is “mucho gasolina” in the tank.

See previous story posted January 13, 2013

UPDATE: No contest as Really Uptown takes first leg of Triple Crown!

SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI – Really Uptown has once again come up with an incredible victory at Ellis Thomas Downs, this time by a remarkable twelve lengths ahead of the field of horses.

Gato Paso started out with the initial lead in the race but was quickly overcome by the first turn of the race when Really Uptown snatched the lead and never looked back.

Really Uptown was so assertive in the race that he appeared to be running for fun at one point as he opened up for a lead that stretched to as much as twelve lengths by the finish line. 

The horse, which ran out of the L&B Stables team, led a field of four horses after the withdrawal of Slevin before the race and finished in a time of 1:49 and 2.

This news site will provide additional details of the races in a later update.

See previous story posted January 13, 2012:

Triple Crown showdown is no one horse race – Lesmore Smith

- First leg gets underway from 2 P.M. at Ellis THomas Downs today Jan. 13, 2013

SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI – Vice-President of the VI Horse Owners Association, Mr Lesmore Smith, has refuted claims that today’s (January 13, 2013) main event for the Second Annual VI Triple Crown Challenge is now a one horse race with the absence of Slevin through injury. 

Owner of Slevin, Mr James Bates, had related to Virgin Islands News Online on January 10, 2013 that his horse received an injury to a hoof on one of his front legs while he was in a stable at Ellis Thomas Downs at Sea Cows Bay for the Boxing Day races last December. 

The feature race will now be among favourite Really Uptown of L&B Stables, Good Prospecting of Top Priority Racing Stables, Twisted Dreams and Sweet Sight of St. Thomas and Gato Paso of St. Croix. 

“It’s a horse race… there are [four] other horses in the race and any horse can win the race,” Mr Smith said when asked about his take on the claim.

He added, “like anything, and on any given day, so many things can go wrong so at the end of the day, any horse can win the race.”

“I go into any race with the expectation of winning [and] so is any other owner or trainer so any horse can win the race,” the Vice-President of the VI Horse Owners' Association related.

Mr Smith, also the owner of Top Priority racing stables, has trained three additional horses which will be participating in Sunday’s races, including Good Boy Daddy, Blake’s Lucky Penny and Gaffalione and he appeared particularly busy in preparation for race day when Virgin Islands News Online visited the stables. 

Being the Vice-President of the VI Horse Owners Association, he explained that he was still trying to get the track ready to the standard it ought to be with regard to maintenance. “I’m wearing more than one hat at the same time,” he said. “We’re hoping for a good day tomorrow.”

The remaining preparations for the track then had included minor clearing of the track and removal of brush, according to Mr Smith.

Though a few horses had earlier pulled out of some of the races for various reasons, he noted that to the best of his knowledge, there were no additional dropouts through injury or otherwise by any of the other horses and added that all the horses currently on the race card are scheduled to go.

Mr Smith said he was satisfied with the number of entries that came from the USVI to participate in Sunday’s first leg of the VI Triple Crown Challenge and encouraged the fans to come out to participate in the races. 

Post time for the first race today is 2 P.M.

See race card below:

VI Triple Crown Challenge First Leg

Ellis Thomas Downs

January 13, 2013

 

RACE #1 6 Furlong for Class D Horses 2:00 AM Purse $ 4,000.00
No. Horses Owner  Trainer  Weight Silks
1 Walk the Tiger Roy Mercer Sr. Roy mercer Sr.  119 lbs Yellow/White
2 Power Ten  Zion Stables Winston Maduro 117 lbs Pink/White
3 Queteparace Cholito Leonard's Mini Mart Elroy Leonard 119 lbs Blue/Gold
           
RACE #2 6 1/2 Furlongs for C & D Horses 2:45 PM Purse $ 4,500.00
No. Horses Owner  Trainer  Weight Silks
1 Good Boy Daddy Top Priority Racing Stables Lesmore Smith 119 lbs Orange/Red/Green
2 Green Light Special (stt) debut* Heigel Farrell L. Charleswell 119 lbs Red/white/blue
3 Drink At Last Call (stx) debut* Gary Nicholas Gary Nicholas 119 lbs Lime Green
           
RACE #3 1Mile Open Fillies & Mares 3:15 PM Purse $ 6,000.00
No. Horses Owner  Trainer  Weight Silks
1 Glourious Memory  L&B Racing Stables Antonio Codero 117 lbs black/white/Yellow
2 Orithyia Thomas Vill Stables Karl Thomas 116 lbs Blue/Gold Diamonds
3 True Essense debut* Zion Stables Winston Maduro 117 lbs Pink/White
4 Good Evening Officer (stt) Rasharn Creque Rasharn Creque 119 lbs Camouflage/White
5 Blake's Lucky Penny Top Priority Racing Stables Lesmore Smith 118 lbs Orange/Red/Green
           
RACE #4 1 Mile for Class B & C Horses 4:00 PM Purse $ 5,000.00
No. Horses Owner  Trainer  Weight Silks
1 Khun Dan Alliance Point Stables Michael Smith 119 lbs White/Stars
2 Tormento Leonard's Mini Mart Elroy Leonard 116 lbs Blue/Gold
3 Gaffalione Alex Lake Lesmore Smith 117 lbs Orange/Red/Green
           
RACE #5 1 1/16 Mile for Class A Horses 5:00 PM Purse $ 10,000.00
No. Horses Owner  Trainer  Weight Silks
          red/Gold
1 Good Prospecting Top Priority Racing Stables Lesmore Smith 120 lbs Orange/Red/Green
2 Twisted Dreams (stt.) Rasharu Creque Rasharu Creque 120 lbs Camouflage/White
3 Really Up Town L&B Racing Stables Antonio Codero 120 lbs black/white/Yellow
4 Sweet Sight (stt)  No Limit Racing Stable Ira Callwood 120 lbs Green/gold/white
5 Gato Paso (stx) debut* Gary Nicholas Gary Nicholas 120 lbs Red/white/blue

33 Responses to “UPDATE: Really Uptown well on his way to Triple Crown Glory! [Photo display included]”

  • rat tiee (13/01/2013, 09:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    lesmore you sound good but you done know you will get your r@$$ cut by uptown really

  • --------------- (13/01/2013, 09:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    vino you trying but sorry i am not feeling this triple crown deman
  • sand man (13/01/2013, 10:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    people come out and support the races
  • player (13/01/2013, 10:51) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    When gambling is legalized, I'll be a regular at the downs!!!!
  • l & b (13/01/2013, 18:33) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    WELL MAY BOUY WAH AH BLOW OUT
  • caygirl (13/01/2013, 19:25) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Really Uptown......first triple crown winner in the VI...no horse will beat him no matter the distance. He is in a league all by himself. St Croix get ready for the Tolians here we come....lol....Really Really Uptown!!!!!
  • farmer brown (13/01/2013, 19:39) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    we need a Jockey Club in the bvi
  • Assspectator (13/01/2013, 21:41) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Apart from the absolutely dominating run of Really Uptown, the event was very poorly run. Guys chasing a stray horse on the inside of the track, gate malfunctioning AGAIN, two and three horse races, not enough Jockeys; man it was embarrassing. That sport is going to die soon if we don't take some serious steps to address the issues.
  • ccc (14/01/2013, 00:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    10 horse leg good lord!!!
  • winner (14/01/2013, 07:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    tell slevin get ready for more licks in the second leg in cruz tola horses first and second all the way
  • Secretariat (14/01/2013, 09:48) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Didn't sunday remind you guys of the movie Secretariat.. I could have heard letty say let him run let him run..wow and run he did.. The critics say he ain't run no one.. but you guys right he ain't run no one cause was out there by himself waiting for them to come. So they saying Twisted Dream is the one huh... well the saga shall continue.. I said from the first day i saw really uptown run.. greatness is before us they laugh..
  • Hmm (14/01/2013, 10:00) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    wen L&B bought Act they got a spare engine and UPTOWN using it now
  • Elephant in De Room (14/01/2013, 12:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why do they scan the jockeys for batteries and not test the horses for drugs?
  • Vamp (14/01/2013, 14:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    bigups to l&b stables, simply the best. the problem with turnout is dat everyone and their granny was there 3wks ago in their sunday best after spending their last at christmas. where people finding money again to sharp up and come out to support races when they waiting patiently to get the first 2013 paycheck das da problem.
  • yes we can (14/01/2013, 15:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Wow I love your photo display vino
  • bay yute (14/01/2013, 16:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    No doubt really up town is a class above the rest ya ye
  • springer says (14/01/2013, 17:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Bobo Bates now shopping in californa looking at a horse name Awesome Feather. A 4yr old colt undefeated at Arcadia, California the same track that Zenyetta came from but the claimers what $150,000. 4 him. Then there is Battle Star from Aqueduct track a 5yr old Stalion the camp is watching as well.
  • ss (15/01/2013, 14:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The MOU came at a good time
  • Miss P (16/01/2013, 01:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Funny man paying the vendors fee on race day will not help him…we still voting he out!!!
  • mi lijo (20/01/2013, 16:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    good work toñito is the best trainer and the virgin islands and bvi really up town is the best horse every distance L&B congratulations


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.