New York-bred It's a Gamble made a successful foray to the island nation of Barbados last weekend and came away with a victory in the $214,000 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup at the Garrison Savannah Racetrack in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Recognized as a Barbadian Grade 1 event and contested at 1,800 meters on the turf, the Barbados Gold Cup also made its return after not being run in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sent off as the 5-2 co-favorite in the field of nine under Jalon Samuel, It's a Gamble won by three quarters of a length over Tallahatchiebridge with So Suave another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. The 5-year-old son of English Channel won in 1:50.2 over the firm ground.
Bred by Ron Lombardi and out of the Yes It's True mare Yes It's Pink, previously raced for his breeder's Mr. Amore Stable. He went 3-2-3 in 21 starts, including a victory over open company in the 2021 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park, and earned $260,437 in the U.S. It's a Gamble was claimed out of his prior start before the Barbados Gold Cup for $35,000 at Gulfstream Park in mid-January by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and Paraiso Investments.
It's a Gamble won his debut during the 2020 meet at Saratoga Race Course before adding an allowance-optional score later that year at Aqueduct. He also placed in two stakes on the NYRA circuit – and won the Jersey Derby – as a 3-year-old.
It's a Gamble won the Barbados Gold Cup for owner Mark Goodridge and trainer Rommell Lovell. The victory also marked Samuel's sixth victory in the race, along with scores aboard Dancin David (2012), Dorsett (2016 and 2017), Sir Dudley Digges (2018) and Night Prowler (2020).
The winner of three of her 13 starts with just two off-the-board finishes, Yes It's Pink was claimed at Belmont Park by Lombardi for $50,000 in October of 2013 and raced three more times before retirement.
Joining the Mr. Amore broodmare band, Yes It's Pink's first foal was an unraced New York-bred colt named Always Will. Her second foal, the New York-bred Verrazano mare Misty Tate is 7-1-5 in 28 starts – the most recent in early January at Laurel Park – with earnings of $200,021.
Itsalittlebitfunny, a 4-year-old New York-bred gelding by Algorithms, won his debut for Mr. Amore and Breen; and Yes It's Pink's fifth foal, the 3-year-old New York-bred Union Jackson filly, has made two starts for Mr. Amore and Breen this year at Aqueduct.
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