This year I decided to attend the Caribbean Classic. This is the 3rd year that Gulfstream has hosted this race. I have watched it on TV the past 2 years and couldn’t pass it up this year! There are horses from Mexico, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. Jamaica will be represented in the Clasico del Caribe for the first time in more than a decade by not one but two Jamaican-bred horses, both Triple Crown Champions. Below I did a background analysis of each horse and then my picks at the end. Good Luck!
- Thibaut (Mexico) trained by Fausto Gutierrez
The last two editions of the Clasico Del Caribe have been won by Fausto. In 2017 with Jala Jala and 2018 with Kukulkan. Thibaut enters the Clasico del Caribe in search of his third straight victory of 2019. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount aboard Thibaut. Ortiz Jr. rode Jala Jala and Kukulkan for their Clasico del Caribe victories. The son of Famous Again won the Clasico Criadore (G1) in September. Thibaut, El Santo and Lopecitos finished 1-2-3 in the final prep for the Clasico, the Clasico Kremlin. All are trained by Fausto Gutierrez and entered the Clasico. Thibaut has had 12 starts with 6 firsts and 3 seconds.
- Gran Omero (Venezula) trained by Reynaldo Yanez
I am very impressed with this horse and I am a fan of all Sadlers Wells progeny. This impressive horse most recently beat Tap Daddy in the G1 Clasico Propietorios La Rinconada. Tap Daddy won the 2017 (G1) Dixiana Bourbon. Gran Omero has won 9 of his starts in Venezuela. He has won five (G1) races. His only loss was third. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the mount aboard Gran Omero.
- Papa Candelo (Puerto Rico) trained by Jose Velez
Papo Candelo comes into this race undefeated after breaking his maiden. He went on to win an allowance race and then on to win 2 (G2) races. Papo Candelo has won his four career races by a combined 49 ¾ lengths. His last two races were stakes races in Puerto Rico. The last two races were the same distance he’s going to run in the Clasico del Caribbean. His trainer said he likes to run in front all the time. He can be in the middle with horses but his best races are when he’s a front-runner. His regular jockey Juan Carlos Diaz has the return to call.
- Fix (Panama) Trained by Alberto ‘Droopy’ Paz Rodriguez
Droopy saddled Fray Angelico for 2nd place behind Jala Jala in the 2017 Clasico del Caribe and he is hopeful that Fix will demonstrate considerable improvement Sunday. On the first leg of the Triple Crown he lost by a half-length and had trouble he didn’t change leads. The connections changed the jockey and the same thing happened in the second leg, he didn’t change leads. For the Clasico del Caribe they changed his equipment, changed the bridle and put blinkers on. After the changes, he seems to be doing good. With all his issues, I don’t think this colt will be able to figure it out against this impressive class of horses.
- El Santo (Mexico) trained by Fausto Guiterrez
El Santo, a son of Take Charge Indy, finished 1 ¾ lengths behind Thibaut in the Clasico Kremlin after winning his 2019 debut in the Jockey Club Mexicano (G1) June 1. In 2018, the Mexican-bred colt had won two Group 1 stakes, including the Mexicano Futurity, in which Lopecitos finished third. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount aboard El Santo.
- Senor Concerto (Panama) trained by Alberto ‘Droopy’ Paz Rodriguez
Senor Concerto is one of three horses represented by Panama in the Clasico del Caribe. Senor Concerto will ride a five-race winning streak into the Clasico del Caribe. Fix finished third in that race. Since breaking his maided he has raced 8 times with 5 wins, 1 second and 2 thirds. He has won 3 G(2) races. Luis Saez has the mount on Senor Concerto.
- Supreme Soul (Jamaica) trained by Anthony Nunes
Supreme Soul is the 2019 Triple Crown champion in Jamaica. He is only the 13th horse to sweep the Jamaica Triple Crown. He suffered a quarter crack in his right hoof after the St. Leger. They sealed the crack with stainless steel stitches. The connections decided to by-pass the races in September and October to let him heal and train up to the Caribo del Clasico. His last race was at the end of July.
- Juice Man (Jamaica-Trinidad) trained by Glenn Mendez
Juice Man traveled from Jamaica to Trinidad to become a Triple Crown champion in Trinidad. His trainer said he is a mentally tough horse and believe that mental toughness will help him in a race like this. Juice Man began his racing career in Jamaica for Nunes before being turned over to Mendez in Trinidad in April. This year he has had 9 starts with 5 wins and 2 seconds. Two of the wins have been (G1) stakes races. Rajiv Maragh will be on board which is very cool because he was born in Jamaica.
- Lopecitos (Mexico) trained by Fausto Guiterrez
Lopecitos may have one of the best pedigrees in the race, he is the son of Paynter out of a Scat Daddy mare. I am a huge fan of the Scat Daddy progeny, Winx and Zenyatta are the first to come to mind among many other talented horses. Fausto was expecting more from this talented colt in Mexico but he is hoping at sea level he will improve and it can’t hurt that he has Jose Ortiz on board. This year he has had 10 starts with 2 wins, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds. He finished third in the Clasico Criadore (G1) in September behind stable mates Thibaut and El Santo.
- Turpin Time (Panama) trained by Alberto ‘Droopy’ Paz Rodriquez
Turpin Time is one of three horses being represented by Panama. Turpin Time has won two of his last three career starts, finishing a close second to Senor Concerto in his only loss was in the Carlos y Fernando Elta Almaran (G2) Jose Lezcano is slated to ride Turpin Time.
- The Brother Slew (Venezuela) trained by Paul Valery
The Brother Slew is coming off third-place finishes in the Jockey Club de Venezuela (G1) and Invitacional del Caribe (G1). The Brother Slew is the winner of the Copa Iraqui in July. He has had 6 starts with 1 first, 1 second. He came in third in the last 2 G(1) races he was entered in. Emisael Jaramillo will be on board The Brother Slew.
- Doctor Sotelo (Venezuela) trained by Carlos Alberta Artega
Doctor Sotelo is a very lightly raced horse with a precocious attitude. He ran a few races as two-year old then got hurt. The connections had to send him to the farm to recover. He came back for his 3yo campaign and was training well. He has been in 2 races this year and his last race he won by a nose to qualify for the Caribbean del Caribe. He had an issue in the quarantine airport where he hurt himself and it required antibiotics. He his feeling better now and training like he always has been.
My top 4 picks in this race are Thibaut, Papa Candelo, Gran Omero, and Senor Concerto.