Ramsey Still Chasing Barbados Gold

To ship two horses all the way to Barbados to compete for a purse of $107,000 may not make economic sense, but Ken Ramsey keeps doing it anyway. Ramsey will send two horses for this year's (Gr. I–Int–Bar) Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, to be run Mar. 4 at the Garrison Savannah Racetrack, predicts he's going to run one-two and admits his primary reason for racing in the Carribean event is that winning there is good for one's ego.

“I'm treated really well down there,” he said. “When you fly into the airport and go through customs look up and you'll see a big picture of jockey Patrick Husbands riding my horse with the Ramsey silks. They have me on television all the time, a lot of people recognize me. I wanted to go down there and beat Coolmore, which I have succeeded in doing, though I know they could probably beat me if they really wanted to. It's sort of an ego thing.”

Ramsey said “half the island” will be at the race and he clearly enjoys the celebrity status he has achieved. He is given the privilege of kicking off a polo match held the next day by “throwing out the first chukker” and said he brought the Gold Cup trophy to the polo match after his win in 2015.

“They must have been lined up 50 deep to have their picture taken with me and the trophy,” he said.

Ramsey doesn't always make practical business decisions when it comes to his racing operation, which is why he admits it has gotten way too big and why he has no hesitation running a 75-1 shot in the GI Kentucky Derby. But that's also part of his charm. He doesn't just want to win, he wants to win races all over the world, especially in a place like Barbados. There, he can bring a horse that may be worth $75,000, win a race that captivates an entire country and be treated like a conquering hero.

“I think we can run first and second,” he said. “I'm not going down for the sunshine and the weather. I'm going down to win our third Barbados Gold Cup. I have two trophies from there, one on each end of my mantle. I need a third one for the middle.”

Ramsey first won the race in 2014 with Major Marvel (Bernstein). He won again in 2015 with Sayler's Creek (Bernstein). He fell short in his attempt for a three-peat last year when his two starters finished second and fourth.

This year, Ramsey will send High Noon Rider (Distorted Humor) and Keystoneforvictory (Shakespeare), both of whom are trained by Mike Maker. High Noon Rider has lost eight straight, but has back class as he won the Better Talk Now S. in 2015. Keystoneforvictory, looks the better of the two. He's won his last two, including the Claiming Crown Emerald. Ramsey said Barbados native Husbands has the choice to ride either horse and that Rafael Hernandez will have the other mount.

“For this race, I look for a horse that has early speed because it's not a closers' track,” Ramsey said. “You have to have something that's going to be in the top two or three. Usually, a $50,000 horse will win it, unless Coolmore elects to bring a good one in. I've got a couple I think will be competitive.”

The biggest threat to the Ramsey horses could be Dorsett (Artie Schiller), last year's winner of the race. The Gold Cup is run on the turf at the distance of about nine furlongs.

Nothing will cool Ramsey's enthusiasm for the Barbados Gold Cup or what has so far been an illusive win at Royal Ascot. He's just going to have to try to get it done with fewer horses. Ramsey seems to win the owner's title at every track he races at regularly and can boast of 28 owners' titles at Churchill. But many of those wins have come with claimers, horses that can, but don't always, pay the bills. Taking into account his age (81) and other factors, Ramsey is looking to cut his stable in half.

“The most we have ever had in training is between 125 and 150,” he said. “I want to get it down by half and get my trainers cut in half. I'm 81 and I need to cut back. I just have too many horses. Last Saturday, I had horse running at Turfway Park, Gulfstream, Fair Grounds and Aqueduct, and I have a string at every one of those places. Watching all those horses on TV, that doesn't trip my trigger like it used to. It's too many horses and too much overhead.”

Ramsey said he's already lost 33 horses over the last few months through the claiming route. He also has plans to sell off many of the 92 2-year-olds he has.

“I have 16 on the market that I'm selling now, for anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000, that we don't think will be graded stakes horses,” he said. “We want quality and, if we don't think the horse is stakes quality, we're going to let them go.”

Two of his 2-year-olds that aren't going anywhere are Cardiac Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and Linburgh's Kitten (Kitten's Joy). Both are trained by Wesley Ward and will be aimed for the Royal Ascot meet. Ramsey is so high on Cardiac Kitten that he says he may change the colt's name to Ascot Kitten. He also plans to send Charming Kitten (Kitten's Joy) to Royal Ascot. The long-distance specialist will be pointed to one of the marathon stakes at Ascot.

“That's really what I'm interested in now,” Ramsey said. “I'm not going to worry about claimers. I want to win major races in the U.S., win at Royal Ascot and keep winning the Barbados Gold Cup.”