Taylor Made, Salute The Don stay true to form

True to form, December’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes shaped the results of yesterday’s prep races for three-year-olds chasing classic glory this season, TAYLOR MADE and SALUTE THE DON both making every post winning ones in the Hotline and Sir Howard Stakes, respectively.

Convinced GIVING THANKS would have turned tables after walking out of the gate when beaten on their December debut by TAYLOR MADE, bettors paid the price of making the Philip Feanny-trained runner a 3-5 favourite in the fillies-only Hotline Stakes at six furlongs.

TAYLOR MADE, bred to sprint all day, dashed from the gate at odds of 3-2, leading stablemate DREAM CATCHER, an order which remained unchanged while GIVING THANKS, slowly into stride again, was left to fend for third behind the winner’s 1:14.2.

Used up on the lead when making her three-year-old debut in the Rimsky Trophy on January 14, TAYLOR MADE had led to almost the furlong pole before giving way to United States-bred ANY MEANS, who was afterwards cut down by FERNANDO, third-place finisher in December’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.

The form of the top two-year-old race was again evident in the Sir Howard. SALUTE THE DON, runner-up to Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes winner, WE JAMMIN, went on an afternoon stroll against colts and geldings, cruising home in 1:13.4 with Dane Dawkins for Gary Subratie, three-fifths faster than the fillies.

Champion trainer Jason DaCosta sealed a two-timer by landing division two of the afternoon’s overnight allowance with TEFLON DON, an 8-1 upsetter, returning a winner after relentlessly chasing SHE’S THAT GIRL in last Sunday’s Trevor ‘Slicer’ Simpson Trophy at five furlongs round.

United States-bred SIR DON, the 1-5 favourite, was an unfortunate loser by a length, boxed in shortly after the start of the five-furlong straight race and was held fifth off the pace by Raddesh Roman, who did his mount no favour by switching from the faster stands’ side when making a furious late charge.

Hot lightweight rider Tajay Suckoo made all aboard lone-speed LAST POSSESSION at odds of 5-1, running slower rivals off their legs at seven furlongs in the fifth. Suckoo returned to land the eighth aboard 21 chance GOODBYE FIREFLY, division two of the overnight allowance, a driving finish ahead of ANOTHER ONE and 3-2 favourite UNBELIEVABLE FORCE.

GOODBYE FIREFLY’s victory was not without controversy, announced as a non-runner, deemed ‘ineligible’ by the stewards, before being reinstated to the event, a gaffe which caused Twilight 6 bettors to have omitted the American from their bets, then afterwards being unable to adjust due to an elapsed five-minute window for cancellation.

The exotic bets had huge payouts, starting with the Reggae 6’s $945,176 after being rocked by MY SUNSHINE at 9-1 in the third, LAST POSSESSION and 8-1 outsider PRINCIPAL TIFFANY in the sixth.

The Reggae 6 will open on Saturday with a single-winner bonus of $14.4 million whereas the Twilight 6 returned $3,036,007 apiece to two winning tickets. The Ketch 9 has a big carryover of $2.6m to Saturday, the first of two meets on this weekend.