The opening event of the annual five Classics of the 2026 Racing Year in Jamaica, the eight-furlong 1000 Guineas, is now firmly in the annals of the local racing industry.
The outcome shows that second-generation trainer Jason DaCosta saddled the first two to finish the eight-furlong exertion, while also closing a stable double.
Guineas winner Dream Catcher (3-5), piloted by Tevin Foster, could see eight of her 15 rivals down the backstretch before overtaking them all to strike the lead inside the last 150 yards. She then glided away to a four-length superiority. The Bern Identity-bred bay, out of a Legal Process mare, is clearly the best of her peers of either sex at this stage, adding this win to her seven-length romp in the Portmore.
In his post-race interview, DaCosta spoke of a plan executed perfectly. Runner-up Taylor Made (9-1), ridden by Robert Halledeen, abandoned her front-running preference, was held up in fourth, and struck the lead at the distance.
Foster said he was not worried about Dream Catcher encountering a couple of tight spots and losing a little ground. He revealed he was never panicked and allowed her to regain stride gradually, ensuring she was the first of his double on the card.
Ridden by Halledeen, it was Formalist (1-5) who scored by over 14 lengths over the straight course of race four to complete DaCosta’s two-timer.
Dream Catcher confirmed her stamina and readiness for the 10-furlong St Leger on July 4 and the Derby on August 4. Bizarrely, the Oaks is set for August 1, forcing the owners of fillies competing for Classic glory to make a choice. It looks unlikely that the connections of this Guineas winner will opt for the less lucrative Oaks rather than a tilt at the Triple Crown.
The secondary feature was another renewal of the seven-furlong 35th Eros Trophy, and the winner, Legacy Isle (USA), declared by Rohan Crichton and ridden by champion Raddesh Roman for his second winning mount, could hardly have been more dominant. Legacy Isle’s advantage was never under threat, and he scored by just over three lengths.
Conceding upwards of seven pounds to seven rivals, the well-built six-year-old Shackleford (USA) horse sprinted the trip in track record time, posting 1:22.3 to lower the mark by one-fifth of a second. This took his career statistics to nine successes from 19 local appearances, with four second-place finishes, including two in the 2024–25 Mouttet Mile. The victory pushed Legacy Isle’s stakes earnings just beyond $50 million.
Roman’s first winner came in race two, run at five furlongs round, with the Philip Feanny-conditioned Phenomenal Power (USA) scoring by one length at odds of 9/5. Coincidentally, Feanny was the trainer of Eros, in whose honour this trophy event is staged, and who established the previous track record in September 1991.
Race one, over six and a half furlongs, produced an 18-1 winner in the form of Nakamura, trained by Paul Charlton and piloted by apprentice Tyrese Anderson.
It was 19/1 against Galway Bay to win race three, but the 10-year-old bay horse, trained by Rudolph Hardial, sprinted ahead of nine opponents to win the three-furlong straight dash by half a length. Apprentice Rotajmar Weir secured his first win of the season from 20 opportunities. As it turned out, Anderson and Weir were the only riders outside of the 2026 top ten to secure winning mounts.
In race five, Peter-John Parsard, for the first of two on the 11-race programme, posted Lucy On The Go (4-1) to win the straight five event by four lengths with apprentice Tajay Suckoo at the reins.
Race six, run at seven furlongs, went to 4-5 favourite Life Is Life, prepared by owner Ryan Darby, for a victory of over five lengths. This gave 2022 champion Dane Dawkins the opener of a riding double.
Dawkins’ double success was confirmed in tandem with Parsard, as maiden filly Awesome Emma (1-1) proved almost four lengths the best over the five and a half furlongs of race eight.
Half an hour earlier, in race seven, it was nearly a 15-length runaway for Password (5-1), declared by Lawrence Freemantle and ridden by Tevin Foster, who enjoyed another good day in the saddle with two winners.
Race nine went to My Lady Gold (5-1) from the stable of Gary Griffiths, with 2023 champion Reyan Lewis guiding the three-year-old maiden filly to score by two lengths at the end of the five-furlong round gallop.
