Speightstown’s Grade 3 winner Barbados kicked off his 2016 campaign on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, and responded with a one-length victory in the $100,000 Pelican S.
Sent away the 7-5 favorite, Barbados responded strongly in the final furlong, closing from fifth to win going away under Victor Lebron. The 4-year-old covered the six furlongs in a very swift 1:09.96.
Barbados, who won the Hutcheson S. (G3), is owned by the Suzanne Stables of Paul and Sue Hanifl and trained by Mike Tomlinson. Barbados won for the fourth time in 11 starts and raised his career earnings to $352,220.
“He is such a classy horse, and I’m very thankful to Mr. Paul and Sue Hanifl for giving me the opportunity to train a horse like this,” Tomlinson said. “We’re looking for big things out of him this year.”
Barbados, who also captured the 2015 Spectacular Bid S. at Gulfstream Park, is out of the stakes-winning mare Northern Station and was bred in Kentucky by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.
