Top of the Class set to miss Clasico

Trinidad and Tobago’s Triple Crown-winning colt Top of the Class is set to miss the prestigious Clasico Del Caribe horse race in Puerto Rico in December.

The colt’s Clasico appearance was dependent on whether racing organisers would shift the prestigious Champion Stakes date from November 29 at Santa Rosa Park to allow him a chance at a big bonus, and that has not happened. A huge TT$750,000 (US$122,570) bonus is on offer for Top of the Class if he adds the Champion Stakes to his Triple Crown sweep, and his connections are anxious to go for the extra earnings. Top of the Class will not be able to race in the December 7 Clasico if he remains in Trinidad for the Champion Stakes a week earlier. And the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority’s secretary David Loregnard told CMC Sport yesterday that the Arima Race Club could not shift the race.  “Recent discussion with the president of the Arima Race Club (Gerald Ferreira) revealed that they have been unsuccessful in getting that race brought forward to accommodate Top of the Class going for the Clasico bid,”

Loregnard said, “And it seems very unlikely at this stage that he will be going to the Clasico. He needs to be in Puerto Rico by November 18 to fulfil quarantine requirements and I don’t think the connections will want to miss anything like the TT$750,000 bonus that is available (with a Champions Stakes victory) for them,” Loregnard said. Top of the Class logged an impressive 13-length win in the Derby on September 24 as the hot 2-5 favourite in a record time of two minutes 05.48 seconds, topping the previous Derby record of 2:06.60 by the Jamaican horse Terremoto in 1998.