KINGSTON, Jamaica – There was significant buzz surrounding two-year-old bay filly Digital One, trained by Jason DaCosta, before her debut on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at a distance of 5 ½ furlongs.
Digital One's reputation preceded her, as she had prepared exceptionally well for her first race. The US-bred filly, sired by Uncle Lino and out of Legal Redemption, had captured attention with some impressive and swift spins. It's worth noting that Uncle Lino also sired prominent racer Lure of Lucy.
Top jockey Reyan Lewis was the primary guide during Digital One's debut preparations and was declared to ride her. However, after Lewis fell from a horse on race day morning, trainer DaCosta chose to replace him with championship rival Dane Dawkins.
The change in jockey made no difference to the expected outcome. Dawkins skillfully positioned Digital One in second place as her stablemate Banadura set a rapid early pace. In the final furlong and a half, Digital One engaged in a brief battle with Banadura before pulling away in style to win by 2 ¾ lengths and clocking an impressive time of 1:06.3.
Digital One's performance and finishing time are on par with those in the Overnight Allowance group – the seasoned four-year-old gelding won the final race on Sunday (October 8) at 5 ½ furlongs in just a fractionally faster time of 1:06.2.
Digital One's debut indicates that she has the potential to excel in longer races as she demonstrated an aptitude for keeping up with early pacesetters before striking decisively in the home stretch.
"Digital One is a promising filly," confirms trainer DaCosta. "She's been making steady progress and her initial performance is very encouraging. We'll be keeping a close eye on her health and development."
DaCosta can also be pleased with the performance of his local filly Banadura, who displayed promising pace and a strong fighting spirit.
