Calder Race Course

Calder: Garcia back on Ring Weekend for Calder Derby

David Grening|Mar 25, 2014

Ring Weekend with Alan Garcia wins a maiden

Barbara D. Livingston Ring Weekend, shown with Alan Garcia after the gelding's maiden win on Feb. 8 at Gulfstream, will have that rider back in the irons for the Calder Derby next month.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Alan Garcia will regain the mount on Tampa Bay Derby winner Ring Weekend for the Calder Derby on April 5, trainer Graham Motion said Tuesday.

Garcia had ridden Ring Weekend in his two starts prior to the Tampa Bay Derby, but missed that race owing to a commitment that weekend in Saudi Arabia. Daniel Centeno subbed for Garcia in the Tampa Bay Derby.

[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]

The Calder Derby is scheduled to be the final prep for Ring Weekend for the Kentucky Derby on May 3. The Calder Derby does not offer any points toward the Kentucky Derby under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the Derby field should more than the maximum 20 horses enter, but Ring Weekend has 50 points from his Tampa Bay win, and those points should be more than adequate to make the Derby field.

Garcia has never won the Kentucky Derby. Motion won it in 2011 with Animal Kingdom.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman

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