Owner Derrick Smith knows the highs and heartbreaks that come with horse racing.
His most exhilarating moments were courtesy of Seeking My Dream, the colt who etched his name in history by winning the 2015 Jamaica Derby and the first two editions of the Diamond Mile.
But 2015 also brought crushing disappointment. Seeking My Dream passed the post first in the Jamaica St Leger, only to be disqualified in a turn of events. Smith challenged the stewards’ decision through an appeal, but the verdict remained. The pain of that loss never left him.
Determined to rewrite the narrative, Smith vowed to one day claim the St Leger — a race he still believes was unjustly taken. That ambition found fulfilment on Sunday, July 6, 2025, when I Dream Again — trained by Jason DaCosta and ridden by Robert Halledeen — surged ahead with a furlong to go and crossed the line as champion.
Smith, emotional yet resolute, found partial healing in the win.
“Ten years later I have won the Jamaica St Leger, an honour taken away from me 10 years ago. That is the main reason why I named this horse I Dream Again,” Smith told this website.
He then recounted the moment the colt first caught his attention.
“On the morning of the 2023 Yearling Sale, I was going through the catalogue and saw this bay colt by Soul Warrior out of Lady Najariya,” Smith shared.
“Two things struck me at the time; 1) Soul Warrior is a proven Classic producing sire and 2) Lady Najariya is by Legal Process the sire of Alsafra, who is the dam of Seeking My Dream.
“I called trainer DaCosta and asked him to take a look at the horse and if satisfactory, then he should purchase not going beyond a certain price.”
The purchase was made. And now, Smith is the proud owner of a Jamaica St Leger winner — a dream revived and realized.
“DaCosta made the purchase and now I have my St Leger winner. Thanks and appreciation go out to the team at the DaCosta stables, and to jockey Halledeen who rode what I consider to be a well-judged and timed race,” Smith said.
One Response
This article has a very serious error Seeking My dream finished second in the ST Ledger in a very bruising race where it was felt Superluminal interfered with Seeking my dream repeatedly and after a lengthy inquiry the result did stand and the year was 2014.