The outcome of the opening Classics, the fillies 1000 and colts and geldings 2000 Guineas, over a mile, has been very instructive, with the former going to Dream Catcher 24 hours earlier, and the latter won by Salute The Don to heighten the conversation as to the likely outcome of the St. Leger on July 4 and the Derby on August 4 to close the 2026 Triple Crown series.
Gary Subratie conjured up another of his now familiar exploits in saddling many winners of the Classics in his long and distinguished career. Salute The Don (2-1), ridden by Raddesh Roman, to close three wins on the card, stumbled and tried to avoid a huge puddle immediately after the gates of race eight opened.
Further, the Subratie conditioned colt was hemmed on the rails by frontrunning Eye of the Tiger (Robert Halledeen) for two furlongs of the backstretch gallop before extricating himself to win the 2000 Guineas by three parts of a length.
Runner-up, stablemate Stardom (8-5) had excuses as well. Forced to run wide at the top of the stretch, Stardom also altered course inside the last furlong.
Both of these colts will stay the ten furlongs of the St Leger and will head the betting market again, as occurred here. The inevitable question of whether or not 1000 Guineas heroine Dream Catcher will be competitive against the opposite sex has been raised legitimately. As the creator of the Prediction/Odds for this publication, I am prepared to say at this point that the five-pound sex allowance could be a significant factor.
Tajay Suckoo rode the first of a two-timer with Anthony Nunes’ inconsistent four-year-old colt Brahma Bull (5-2), making all to score by just over three lengths over the seven and a half furlongs of race two. Roman’s first of his triple was delivered with great jockeyship aboard 1-1 favourite Silent American (USA), saddled by Steven Todd in winning race three over five furlongs round.
It was Roman for the second time in race four, contested over the extended circular nine-furlong course, with Earmark Blitz (10-1) declared by Alford Brown proving to be a totally elusive frontrunner to oblige by over five lengths.
Race five was run forty minutes later, and the five-furlong straight gallop went to 14-1 shot Dark Matter, trained by Donovan Plummer, to win by four lengths for jockey Phillip Parchment to achieve the milestone of 200 career trips to the winners’ enclosure.
In race six, run at four furlongs straight, even money favourite Never Despair (Jemar Jackson) was the first of a stable double for conditioner Peter-John Parsard. Last raced in February 2025, and obviously well recovered from what was obviously a problematic setback, the Bold Conquest four-year-old bay colt won by one and a half lengths and should pay his way going forward.
The Parsard double was closed emphatically by maiden colt Hooray Henry (2-1) outstaying 11 rivals, the nearest by five lengths, over the nine furlongs and 25 yards course of race seven. Speaking of riding doubles, apprentice Tajay Suckoo closed his in the nightcap with Rainsville (13-1). Although not known for sprinting, the seven-year-old grey gelding beat 2-1 choice Zulu Warrior by just under two lengths over the straight course for Florida-based trainer Rohan Crichton.
