On the final race day of 2025, Stardom, a bay colt by Sensational Slam out of Trinket Box, made an eye-catching debut at six furlongs, beating his rivals by 16 lengths.
Guided by jockey Dane Dawkins and prepared by trainer Gary Subratie, Stardom stopped the clock at 1:16.0 after splits of 24.4 and 49.4. While the time itself was modest, the sheer dominance of his performance left no doubt that this colt has more to offer.
Second place went to fellow debutant Another Wow (Raddesh Roman), with Another Quality (Javaniel Patterson) fading to third after setting the early fractions.
Trainer Subratie, visibly pleased but measured in his assessment, explained:
“Stardom entered this race with limited preparation as I wanted to see how he would react under race conditions. Stardom did much more than expected, winning convincingly, which is a good sign going forward.”
He added with conviction:
“I was not perturbed by the time done by Stardom as natural improvement will come with time. I believe that Stardom has the potential to develop into a good racehorse, who will get a distance of ground. A good first run, first victory secured by Stardom, we will now work to keep him healthy and to get better and better.”
The race itself was not without drama. Stardom was slow into stride, while Another Wow hesitated in the gates, gifting rivals a significant early advantage. Another Quality seized the lead, but by the three-furlong pole Stardom had surged forward, sweeping past with authority two and a half furlongs out.
Once in the straight, Stardom accelerated with ease and leaving the field strung out in his wake. Another Wow, despite his tardy start, rallied late to snatch second, but the spotlight belonged entirely to Stardom.
