The 33rd and 31st renewals of the traditional fillies Hotline Stakes and colts and geldings Sir Howard Stakes, respectively, for local thoroughbreds in their second season were the featured events on a programme of ten races, with both events contested over the six-furlong course.
The results of these two second-season Futurities usually pose more questions than provide genuine and trusted pointers to what lies ahead in the Classics.
However, today’s outcomes may not necessarily align with what generally materialized in the past, and at this stage has seemingly identified aspirants who will at least be in the conversation.
Staged as race four, the Hotline went to Taylor Made (3-2), saddled by four-time champion Jason DaCosta for the opener of a double for his high-powered outfit. The rangy grey progeny of Aveenu Malcainu shared the early pace with one of her less distinguished rivals before going on to score by just over four lengths with Robert Halledeen applying the only basic minimum riding skills as needed.
The DaCosta double was confirmed in race nine with Tevin Foster driving Teflon Don (8-1) to beat 1-5 favourite Sir Don (USA), running “greenly”, by one length over the five-furlong straight gallop of race nine.
For race two, the Anthony Nunes entry Smart Trick (1-1) led and won the gallop of five and a half furlongs by five lengths with Raddesh Roman at the reins.
In race six, claimer Shaheen Gordon was just under eight lengths clear aboard owner/trainer David Powell’s Principal Tiffany (8-1) when the winning post ended the gallop of five and a half furlongs.
Programmed as race seven, the Sir Howard attracted 10 declarations, with the only notable absentee being 2026 Jamaica Two-Year-Olds Stakes champion We Jammin, whose seasonal appearance on the March 1, ended in an eight-and-a-half-length defeat by US-bred American Aviator over seven furlongs.
Today’s Sir Howard renewal winner, Salute The Don (1-1), was declared by Gary Subratie and ridden by 2022 champion Dane Dawkins to a victory margin of over nine lengths. Five lengths second to We Jammin in the Two-Year-Old Stakes, it was clear that Salute The Don would have been closer if We Jammin had not gotten in his path 300 yards out. The March 21 Raceday Stewards did investigate the objection but correctly took no action. Time will tell which of these two progressive colts has made more progress and therefore likely to be more successful.
Owner/trainer Junior Panton, from six starts, had his first success of the season with Roger Hewitt guiding the 2-1 favourite Givemethelight to a three-and-a-half length advantage in the day’s opener over the five-and-a-half-furlong trip of race two.
Veteran reinsman, the popular Paul “Country” Francis, picked up his third success of the season by persuading conditioner Edward Stanberry’s front-runner, My Sunshine, to a near four-length lead at the finish of the six-furlong third event.
Speaking of front-running tactics, in race five, for the first of two such performances, the in-form apprentice Tajay Suckoo, rated Anthony Dixon’s Last Possession (5-1) to score by a neck over the seven furlongs of race five. To close a riding double, Suckoo’s follow-up success came in race eight over the straight course with Spencer Chung’s US-bred Goodbye Firefly (2-1). The strapping five-year-old imported horse established an early advantage and sprinted gamely inside the last furlong for victory by a length.
