Tomlinson turns down invite for Barbados to Golden Shaheen

Trainer Mike Tomlinson said he has been approached by officials from Dubai about the possibility of sending Barbados to the Golden Shaheen, but he has already decided to keep his sprint specialist at home.

“They reached out, but the invitation was a little late for us,” said Tomlinson. “We already had a plan set out for him, and we’re going to stick with that plan, which includes the Commonwealth at Keeneland in April and the Churchill Downs Sprint the following month. We considered bringing him back here in the Sir Shackleton on Florida Derby Day, but the race is a little light on money and not graded, so we’ve decided to go with the better races in Kentucky for his next two starts.”

Barbados overcame trouble to win the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in his first start since finishing 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Barbados won the Hutcheson and Spectacular Bid stakes here last winter.

“We were looking for a softer spot to start him back,” Tomlinson said. “An allowance race here didn’t fill, so we took him to Tampa and were pleased with his effort. He got bumped around in the stretch and still overcame the whole thing to win. The foot issues we were dealing with at the Breeders’ Cup are behind him now, and we’re looking forward to a big year with this horse.”