On Independence Day, August 6, 2026, the curtain fell on the five Classics for three‑year‑olds when London Spirit, trained by Jason DaCosta and ridden by Tevin Foster, surged home in the nick of time to capture the 12‑furlong Jamaica Derby.
The victory carried multiple layers of significance. For DaCosta, it was back‑to‑back Derby triumphs, having saddled I Dream Again in 2025. For Foster, it was a career‑defining first success in the island’s blue riband. Yet beyond the headlines of trainer and jockey milestones lay a deeper story — one of stallion supremacy.
Champion stallion Bern Identity (by Bernstein out of Maddalena) quietly authored one of the most dominant Classic seasons in Jamaican racing history. London Spirit’s Derby win was his second Derby in three years, following Crown Chaser (out of Salty Talk) in 2024. But the numbers tell an even more compelling tale:
Out of the five Classics run in 2026, four were won by Bern Identity’s progeny.
Only the 2000 Guineas, won by Salute The Don (by Aveenu Malcainu, trained by Gary Subratie, ridden by Raddesh Roman), broke the sequence.
THE BREAKDOWN OF 2026 CLASSICS
1000 Guineas (1 mile, fillies) – Dream Catcher, bay filly by Bern Identity out of Double Jeopardy, trained by DaCosta, ridden by Foster.
2000 Guineas (1 mile, colts & geldings) – Salute The Don, chestnut colt by Aveenu Malcainu, trained by Subratie, ridden by Roman.
Jamaica St Leger (10 furlongs) – We Jammin, chestnut colt by Bern Identity out of Jammin, trained by Peter‑John Parsard, ridden by Reyan Lewis.
Jamaica Oaks (10 furlongs, fillies only) – Dream Catcher again, giving Bern Identity and Foster their second Classic of the season.
Jamaica Derby (12 furlongs) – London Spirit, bay colt by Bern Identity, trained by DaCosta, ridden by Foster.
NUMBERS THAT MATTER
4 of 5 Classics won by Bern Identity offspring.
2 Classics in 2026 for Dream Catcher (1000 Guineas and Oaks).
2 Derbies in 3 years for Bern Identity (Crown Chaser in 2024, London Spirit in 2026).
2 consecutive Derbies for Jason DaCosta (2025, 2026).
1 first Derby win for Tevin Foster.
The 2026 Classics season must also be remembered not just for London Spirit’s last‑stride Derby heroics, but for the overwhelming dominance of Bern Identity. Four Classic victories in a single year elevated him from leading sire to a generational force, stamping his name alongside the great stallions of Jamaican racing.
