The opening event of ten, run at three and a half furlongs, went to the course specialist Sudden Flight (7-5). Always in control of the pace, the winner was saddled by Rowan Mathie.
He declared top-flight reinsman Tevin Foster to guide the seven-year-old gelding to victory, and it was by a comfortable four and a half lengths. Sudden Flight was the opener of a riding double for Foster.
Dane Dawkins, the 2022 champion, rode the first of a three-timer in winning the second event. It was achieved by a neck in a driving finish aboard Peter-John Parsard’s Lucy On The Go (3-5) over four-furlongs.
Race three went to Hickory Slim (1-2), partnered by 2011 champion Dick Cardenas for veteran trainer Donovan Phillipps. This full brother to champion Mahogany was winning his third of ten career starts, is difficult to train, and is well suited by middle distances. He saw out the seven and a half furlongs very well to score by just over two lengths.
The win by Hickory Slim was the 100th for trainer Phillipps.
Canadian-bred Almasty List (3-1) went clear early under veteran Paul Francis and did enough to lead all the way over the five furlongs round distance of race four. Saddled by owner Lorenzo Robinson, the imported three-year-old dark bay brown filly lasted home by a head to defeat 3-5 favourite Diesel Train (USA).
Owned and conditioned by Everald Francis, seven-year-old mare Cataba (7-1), ridden by champion apprentice designate Demar Williams, won race five by just over two lengths. Speaking of apprentice riders, Emelio McLean got an opportunity to enhance further the reputation of the Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School's graduating class of 2024.
McLean, engaged by trainer Winston Morris to pilot Ridge Liner (7-2), executed the assignment with confidence in a hugely competitive sixth event over the five furlongs straight course. The five-year-old bay horse scored by three parts of a length in a driving finish, with the next four finishers compacted in the space of one length.
Former jockey Tensang Chung presented Joyfull Surprise (9-1) in unbeatable form in race seven, a Maiden Condition restricted to three-year-old colts, geldings, and fillies over a distance of eight furlongs. Ridden by Foster to close his double, Joyfull Surprise, always going well in the front rank, went clear in the final two furlongs and won by just under five lengths, easing down.
Golden Loyalty (5-1), a five-year-old chestnut horse, whose second win was in July 2024, and nine races later, has regained his form spectacularly. Declared by Edward Walker and guided by Shavon Townsend, Golden Loyalty was 12½ in front at the end of the six and a half furlongs exertion.
Featured on the programme of ten races and staged as race nine was another renewal of the Alsafra Trophy to honour the exploits of this ninth Caymanas Triple Crown winner, who won the 2008 running. Royal Dad (1981) was the first Caymanas winner, followed by Monday Morning (87), Liu Chie Poo (88), The Viceroy (89), War Zone (96), I’m Satisfied (2000) and Simply Magic (2002). Since Alsafra there have been three others; Mark My Word (2010), She’s A Maneater (2017), and Supreme Soul (2019).
Declared by Gary Subratie, Digital One (USA), the 6-5 favourite, who has been kept to competing mostly over shorter trips, stayed the seven and a half furlongs well enough to score by a length.
This eighth success from 21 career starts of Digital One (USA) is due in no small measure to the skill set of Dawkins, who secured the second of his three winners on the day.
The secondary feature was the Flossie McNeil Memorial Cup, and to confirm his three-timer, Dawkins had Richard Azan’s Hazelnut (5-2) in front by a half a length at the end of the six furlongs. This closing event was restricted to fillies and mares five years old and upwards, non-winners of two races.
