Featured on the card was another renewal of the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance The Viceroy Trophy, run as race eight, to preserve the memory of the exploits of the 1989 Triple Crown winner.
The Anthony Nunes three-timer was closed with US-importee Sir Don (9-2), under vastly experienced handling of former six-time champion Omar Walker, was just over a length ahead at the finish of the five-furlong sprint on the round course.
Three-year-old Sir Don (USA), with three successes in fast times without being off the bridle, had achieved the rare feat of a Graded Stakes handicap rating as a two year old. The ultra-talented US-bred three-year-old colt, Sir Don, was held up behind the suicidal engagement of each other by American front runners, Of A Revolution (2-1) and Pack Plays (1-5), ridden by Lewis and Roman, respectively.
Walker assumed correctly that the momentum of the battlers would ensure that there would be an exploitable gap on the far rails as they straightened for the two-furlong stretch run. A progeny of Spun To Run (USA), Sir Don ran very well inside the last furlong to secure the major allotment of the purse money and registered a Nunes stable three-timer and now has six wins from his nine-race career.
For the opener of a riding triple, two-time champion (2024-25) and current 2026 leading reinsman Raddesh Roman, rode 2-1 bet Round The Twist, a four-year-old maiden colt by Shackleville, was prepared and presented in invincible condition by Alford Brown. This surety was confirmed as it turned out to be a seven-and-a-half-length, pillar-to-post runaway over the seven and a half furlongs of the opening event.
Race two ended in another runaway with Good Conscience, favourite at 6-5, dominating the eight-furlong gallop throughout to score by nearly 15 lengths. Before the event was too old, the winning rider, Shaheem Gordon, realized that the Robert Pearson-saddled, four-year-colt only needed to be kept on the bridle for the first six furlongs before asking Good Conscience for the requisite economy of effort from the top of the straight.
Following race three, run at seven-and-a-half furlongs, Roman was back in the winners’ enclosure with the second of three wins secured by the six-length superiority of Sir John (1-2), declared by third-generation conditioner Peter-John Parsard for the contest over seven and a half furlongs.
Tajay Suckoo, a very promising member of the Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School 2024 class of graduates, joined the runaway winners in opening a two-timer in the five-furlongs round dash of race four aboard Bowmore (USA). The four-year-old imported colt outpaced his nearest rival by 10 lengths and made it the first of a triple for the stable of former three-time (2018-19-20) titlist Anthony Nunes.
Bred, owned and trained by former top-flight jockey Fitzroy Glispie, three-year-old maiden colt I Love Birdie (6-5), arrived in the final strides to deny frontrunner Golden Ambassador (4-5) by just under one length when the winning post signalled the completion of the seven and a half furlong exertions of race five. Ridden by 2023 champion Reyan Lewis, it was for I Love Birdie, a case of promise performed with four seconds and a third place in a career of five starts previously.
The contagion of wide victory margins epidemic resumed in race six, with Papa Gray (4-1), declared by Donswell Dawes and ridden by Phillip Parchment, to lead and was in a superior category, being just under 14 lengths clear over the six and a half furlongs. The 6-5 favourite Turnonthelight (Raddesh Roman) was the closest, with nine others strung out 50 lengths behind in total.
Ridden by claimer Eric Haughton, previously hard-knocking Nebuchadnezzar (4-1) overcame a significant hindrance at the start of the six-furlong race seven. Racing last but one at the end of two furlongs, the Soul Warrior-bred four-year-old chestnut colt managed to secure victory by a neck over the 7-5 favourite You’re My Sweetie (Dane Dawkins). This confirmed Nunes’ second success of the three on the card of ten races.
The closure of the epidemic of the freakishly wide margins winners on the day returned in race nine with Richard Azan’s Darwin (5-1), ridden by doubly successful Suckoo, thoroughly outstaying eight rivals by over 14 lengths in race nine, restricted to three-year-old non-winners of two races and contested on the two turns of the extended nine-furlong circular course.
Drawn at post position twelve, Jason DaCosta trained 1-2 favourite Dothraki (USA), was not alert enough on leaving his gate to avoid mild broadsides from a rival on his left and stable companion Ricoricorico (USA) on his right. Consequently, Robert Halledeen had to resort to several strokes of the whip for an early recovery.
On the other hand, Raddesh Roman, to confirm his three-timer, had no such problems as Gary Subratie’s US-bred five-year-old mare Digital One (7-2), seized the early initiative to lead to the top of the home stretch. With two furlongs of the five on the round course remaining, made a race of it, but Digital One was resolute inside the final 150 yards and held the lead safely for success by a half a length.
