KINGSTON, Jamaica - He missed the three-year-old Classic campaign and made his debut on May 22, 2023, with a win over five furlongs.
After that, Captain Calico experienced sore shins and did not race again until September 2, where he once again emerged victorious travelling down the 5-straight chute. This made it two wins from two starts for Captain Calico.
On Saturday, October 21, Captain Calico raced against accomplished rivals at the non-winners of three level going seven furlongs.
He led the field ahead of Atlantic Convoy down the backstretch. The battle with Atlantic Convoy persisted until the two horses reached the half-mile turn. At that point, Tevin Foster, atop Captain Calico, decided it was time to take the lead.
Captain Calico quickly responded and established a commanding advantage entering the straight for the final two furlongs. Despite still being inexperienced, Captain Calico confidently ran to victory, winning by 6 ¼ lengths with a time of 1:27.1. Atlantic Convoy finished second, and Norblar secured third place.
Derrick Brandt, owner and breeder of Captain Calico, was overjoyed after witnessing his horse's third consecutive win.
He expressed surprise at seeing Captain Calico take the lead and had his doubts about the horse's ability to maintain the gallop. However, Captain Calico proved himself beyond doubt, earning another victory for the owner-breeder.
Brandt mentioned his satisfaction with Captain Calico's performance and highlighted the special connection as the horse was bred on his farm in St Catherine.
“When I saw him go in front, I was really surprised. I kept thinking whether or not he (Captain Calico), would be able to hold the gallop.
“Thankfully he did, and earned other victory for us. Truth, I was not expecting such a run from Captain Calico, and it made me very happy to see how he has progressed.
“What made the win even more pleasurable for me is the fact that Captain Calico by Soul Warrior out of Rackham’s Mistress is an homebred, that is, he was bred on my farm in St Catherine.
“That is so special to see, when one of my horses, a horse that grew up on my farm, doing so well,” owner – breeder Brandt told Quickgallop.com.
Trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes commented on the importance of Captain Calico's continued health and soundness, emphasizing that the colt has shown noticeable potential.
Despite some initial concerns after his last work, Nunes was impressed with Captain Calico's performance against a strong field and expressed optimism for the future, provided the horse remains healthy and sound.
“He is a really nice colt. I was a little worried after his last work coming into this race, as it didn’t go as planned, but he knew what he was doing. I really took my time with him just because of the way the programme was set up.
“I am very impressed with the way he performed against a good field, so fingers crossed that he stays healthy and sound,” Nunes said.
