The Winston “Fanna” Griffiths Classic is the headline feature on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
This prestigious contest is reserved exclusively for three-year-olds who have yet to taste victory in any of the five Classic events, namely the 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas, Jamaica St Leger, Jamaica Oaks, and Jamaica Derby.
Contested over the rarely used distance of 9 ½ furlongs, the field is restricted to a maximum of 12 starters.
A final field of eleven promising three-year-olds has been officially nominated to clash in this year's edition of the Winston Griffiths Classic, and The Quick Galloper breaks down each contender's chances below.
1 – I LOVE BIRDIE
Bay colt (January 22) by Savoy Stomp out of Birdie My Love
Trainer – Fitzroy Glispie
Jockey – Reyan Lewis
Has demonstrated remarkable improvement over the past two months, highlighted by a spirited third-place finish in the gruelling 12-furlong Jamaica Derby, which he followed up with a sharp victory over a mile, closing in his signature fashion from deep off the pace. I Love Birdie is rapidly establishing himself as a late-blooming distance specialist who thrives around two turns. Expect him to be launching a powerful late charge in the stretch, making him a primary winning threat.
2 – EYE OF THE TIGER
Bay colt (May 30) by Aveenu Malcainu out of Full Moon’s Enough
Trainer – Jason DaCosta
Jockey – Abigail Able
Eye of the Tiger’s primary role in these high-stakes three-year-old events is to inject early speed and dictate a hot pace before fading, effectively softening up the field to set-up the race for a late-running stablemates. He acts strictly as the tactical pacemaker here.
3 – FIDELITY
Bay gelding (March 28) by Bern Identity out of Hush My Darling
Trainer – Jason DaCosta
Jockey – Calvin Bailey
Fidelity has struggled to make any real impression against the top tier of this 2026 three-year-old division. He has largely underwhelmed throughout his current campaign, and a sudden turnaround in form appears unlikely here.
4 – TIA MARIA
Chestnut filly (February 2) by Bold Conquest out of Zacapa
Trainer – Anthony Nunes
Jockey – Tajay Suckoo
This proven filly previously found the winner's circle over two turns on July 11, proving she possesses the stamina needed to handle the 9 ½-furlong distance. While her efforts against top-tier opposition in the Classics were somewhat muted, she will appreciate the trip and stands a solid chance to feature in the exotic wagers.
5 – DARWIN
Bay colt (February 27) by Casual Trick out of Cape
Trainer – Richard Azan
Jockey – Raddesh Roman
Was an uncharacteristic non-factor in the Derby, but prior to that effort, Darwin demonstrated his stamina by claiming his second career win over the two-turn distance of nine furlongs and 25 yards. Holds a legitimate outsider’s chance if he can recapture that prior form.
6 – SENOR BISCOTTI
Bay colt (February 6) by Savoy Stomp out of Baby P
Trainer – Richard Azan
Jockey – Bebeto Harvey
Failed to land a meaningful blow in the Derby and was subsequently outpointed by stablemate Mohanlal as well as Tia Maria over six furlongs just 16 days later. To make a winning run in this lineup, Senor Biscotti will need to deliver the absolute race of his life.
7 – BIGGER BOSS
Bay colt (January 27) by Bern Identity out of Woman Is Boss
Trainer – Jason DaCosta
Jockey – Tevin Foster
Served as part of the Jason DaCosta tactical entry in the Derby, briefly taking over the lead heading into the homestretch before predictably running out of steam. Appears outmatched against this quality of opposition over this distance.
8 – MAVERICK
Bay colt (May 3) by Aveenu Malcainu out of Midnight In Paris
Trainer – Jason DaCosta
Jockey – Robert Halledeen
Proved to be the breakout surprise of the Jamaica Derby on August 6, sweeping into the lead turning for home and falling short by the narrowest of margins, a nose, in the final stride. Kept fresh since that stellar effort, Maverick comes into this race fit and primed. A repeat performance of his Derby effort should easily find him in the winner's enclosure.
9 – MINNIEHAHA
Bay filly (February 23) by Savoy Stomp out of Red Gold
Trainer – Robert Pearson
Jockey – Omar Walker
Turned in a sharp performance to finish a close second behind I Love Birdie over a mile 15 days ago, setting most of the tempo before being caught late in the final furlong. Minniehaha is bound to be on or near the lead from the break, though major questions remain regarding her ability to stay a gruelling 9 ½ furlongs.
10 – STARDOM
Bay colt (April 4) by Sensational Slam out of Trinket Box
Trainer – Gary Subratie
Jockey – Dane Dawkins
Equipment Change – Tongue Tie and Figure 8 on
Began his classic season in fine fashion, securing a victory in the pre-classic Kingston Stakes over a mile before placing second in the 2000 Guineas. His form took a sharp turn for the worse in both the St Leger and the Derby, but The Quick Galloper is willing to throw out those recent setbacks and give Stardom another chance to rebound, especially with the addition of fresh equipment to refocus him.
11 – ANOTHER WOW
Bay filly (April 10) by Casual Trick out of Sarah Barracuda
Trainer – Anthony Nunes
Jockey – Richie Shakes
Tested her stamina in the 10-furlong Jamaica Oaks but failed to threaten rivals. On past performances, Another Wow will likely find the demanding 9 ½-furlong trip far too tough to handle.
This year’s Winston Griffiths Classic hinges on stamina and recent form over distance. MAVERICK (8) gets the top selection, his agonising nose loss in the Jamaica Derby stands out as the single best performance by any horse in this line-up, and coming in fresh makes him the one to beat. The primary danger is I LOVE BIRDIE (1), a late bloomer whose proven late-closing style will be lethal if the pace up front gets hot. STARDOM (10) is the wildcard with class on his side; if the new equipment refocuses him, he can easily contend. TIA MARIA (4) looks best of the rest to round out the exotics.
Selections: The Galloper takes a stab with Stardom to win the Winston Griffiths Classic: The top five selections are: 10 – STARDOM, 8 - MAVERICK, 1 – I LOVE BIRDIE, and 4 – TIA MARIA.
