After a 140‑day break, Nephew, partnered by jockey Demar Williams, returned to the track on Saturday, July 25, 2026, with determination.
He fought valiantly to repel the persistent challenge of Summer Palace, ridden by Tevin Foster, and was first past the post.
Yet the drama did not end at the wire. A stewards’ inquiry was swiftly followed by Foster’s formal objection.
The head‑on replay left little room for doubt: Nephew had repeatedly drifted, causing continuous interference and intimidation to Summer Palace.
The stewards ruled accordingly, lowering Nephew’s colours and awarding the race to Summer Palace.
This was no isolated incident. In fact, the July 25 reversal marked the third disqualification in Nephew’s eight‑race career, a statistic that now defines his reputation as much as his raw ability.
On February 23, 2025, Nephew, ridden by Trevor Simpson, edged Girvano by a head over 6½ furlongs. The race was later awarded to Girvano, trained by champion conditioner Jason DaCosta.
On March 7, 2026, Jerome Innis guided Nephew to second place behind Bowmore at 5½ furlongs, only for the stewards to intervene once more, moving him down to third place.
And now, on July 25, 2026, history repeated itself, with Summer Palace declared the rightful winner after Nephew’s interference.
What makes this latest chapter even more striking is fate’s hand: for the second time after Nephew was disqualified, the race was awarded to a horse from DaCosta’s barn.
