Momentum continues to build for the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club’s Pitons Cup with America’s racing and breeding behemoth WinStar Farm confirmed as a participant.
WinStar Farm’s addition to a building roster of major US racing operations is unsurprising. The record of the multi-Eclipse Award winning WinStar Farm is storied and promotes it as a proactive industry player. While its recent domestic racing honor roll is headed by the irrefutable Justify and includes fellow G1 winners Tourist, Yoshida and Audible as well as slew of graded stakes winners, it should not be forgotten that its recognizable white silks have been successfully represented internationally. The sublime triumph of Well Armed in the 2009 Dubai World Cup, when scoring by a preposterous 14 lengths, is testament to that. As was WinStar Farm’s tilt at the 2018 Royal Ascot meeting when Yoshida was gallant in the G1 Queen Anne.
“It’s always exciting to be a part of something new whether it is the Dubai World Cup, the Pegasus World Cup or a race like the Pitons Cup,” said Elliott Walden, President and Racing Manager of WinStar Farm.
“[The Pitons Cup] is certainly capturing some attention and some good operators are signing on. It will be a great fun to get down to Saint Lucia and be a part of what is shaping as a great event.”
Walden was also singular when extoling the importance of the international thoroughbred industry investing in itself and supporting new initiatives and the emergence of new centres like Saint Lucia.
“The importance the thoroughbred industry supporting itself and supporting new initiatives cannot be understated. We all benefit with a strong industry and we are all responsible for ensuring it is strong and healthy,” Walden said.
“WinStar Farm has worked very hard to be successful as a breeding and racing operation and we take our responsibilities seriously.
“The creation of a new industry in Saint Lucia is very exciting. It is difficult to fully understand what opportunities may arise with a new center of horse racing in the Caribbean but what is clear is that helping the sport grow can only be a positive thing.”
WinStar Farm joins Taylor Made Farm and a syndicate of Hall of Fame Trainer Todd Pletcher, Eclipse Award winning owner Sol Kumin and leading bloodstock agent Brad Weisbord as confirmed participants.
