Trainer Rohan Crichton celebrated Commandant's impressive victory in the $1.4 million Alexander Hamilton Memorial Trophy on Saturday, March 15.
The horse won by an impressive margin of 5 ¼ lengths. The five-year-old bay horse, ridden by top jockey Raddesh Roman, dominated the Open Allowance race, completing the 7-furlong distance in a remarkable time of 1:24.2.
This time was split into sections of 23.2 seconds for the first quarter, 46.0 seconds for the half, and 1:10.4 for the final five-eighths.
This victory marked a significant milestone for Crichton, who views it as a crucial step toward the highly anticipated Mouttet Mile later in the season.
"Our aim after the New Year’s Day win has been to get him ready for the Mouttet Mile. We’re focused on accumulating winnings and preparing him for the race on April 5," Crichton stated, outlining his strategic approach. Crichton’s meticulous preparation clearly paid off, as Commandant showcased a remarkable improvement in performance.
"This race was a pivotal moment for us," Crichton acknowledged. "He was fantastically trained leading into this, and our training regimen really came together."
He also commended Roman for executing a perfect race strategy, allowing Commandant to demonstrate his abilities effectively.
"Raddesh is an exceptional jockey. I just told him to take charge if he felt it was right, but to conserve some energy," Crichton reflected.
"Raddesh did an excellent job both in morning workouts and during today's race, and I’m thrilled with his performance," he added.
With Commandant's next challenge potentially being the Ian Levy Cup on April 5, Crichton feels optimistic about the horse’s trajectory this season.
After a strong start, Commandant settled into second place behind the early leader, Mamma Mia (Omar Walker), but took the lead decisively as they approached the 6-furlong marker, establishing a commanding pace.
As they neared the half-mile point, Commandant surged ahead, leaving his competitors struggling to keep up.
From that moment, it was clear that Commandant would dominate, crossing the finish line in commanding fashion. Inspire Force (Tajay Suckoo) made a late push to capture second place, followed by Run Julie Run (Reyan Lewis) in third.
Roman expressed complete confidence in his post-race comments.
"I wasn't anxious at any point during the race. I had been preparing Commandant and knew he was set for a solid performance. I felt confident about our chances," Roman said.
"When it was time to go, he responded exactly as I expected. In the final stretch, I just let him maintain his speed," he added. Roman’s admiration for Commandant was evident in his remarks. "He's one of the finest horses I've ridden in my career," Roman concluded.
