The second juvenile race of 2026, contested on Saturday, August 29, featured both foreigners and locally bred horses.
Of the five starters, there were four locals and a single overseas bred, Birthday King trained by Jason DaCosta with Tevin Foster holding the reins.
The event was a maiden special weight for native- bred and imported two-year-olds going three furlongs.
Birthday King, a chestnut colt by Kantharos out of Always Kitten got off to a good start taking the advantage ahead of Mandy (Abigail Able), Glama Girl (Garvin Harris), and Born Identity (Shaheem Gordon).
He stayed with the field through the early part of the dash, then shifted gears inside the final furlong.
The colt drew clear with authority to win by 2 ¾ lengths in a time of 36.3 (23.1). It was a 1-2-3 for the DaCosta barn. Stablemates Mandy finished second and Glama Girl was third. DaCosta, the reigning champion trainer, has now won the first two juvenile races for the season after his Boss Over Boss won the Cradle Stakes recently in early August.
