Michal wins New Year’s Day Handicap

2022 champion trainer Robert Peirce started the new year with a bang sending out last year’s Barbados Derby fourth place finisher four-year-old filly Michal to win the day’s feature The New Year’s Day Handicap at the Garrison Savannah on Monday. That victory punched her ticket for the Tanglewood Stakes on Gold Cup Day in March.

Owned by Round Table stud farm, Michal rallied off a slow pace on a slow track following overnight rain on the Garrison track. Pace setter Rainbow Warrior who was 3\1 in the betting was staked by the top weight of 123 pounds. Tudor Rose, the 8\5 short price in the betting was in an early second place with last year’s champion rider Teshawn Hazelwood.

Rainbow Warrior set fractions of 27.4, 54.4 which were very slow as Michal crept up from her third spot and drew away from the field but just won by two and a quarter lenghts from Rainbow Warrior in the 2000-meter feature race. Tudor Rose ran a respectable third giving the winner 13 pounds with Filmores in fourth position in a time of 222.4. Winning jockey was St Lucian Aaron Daniel.

Tanglewood Stakes 2023 promises to be the most competitive in its history with 2020 Derby winner War Eagle, 2021 Triple Crown hero People’s Champ, last year’s triple champion Hurricane, 2022’s Tanglewood winner Neilos and the in-form Cabalitio as well as the improved 2022 Derby runner-up Ares, all worthy opponents.

Trainer Richard Deane dominted the day with three winners and Rachaad Knights was the only jockey to record more than one win scoring two winners on the day. Racing continues January 14.