Salute The Don turns the tables on STARDOM in 2000 Guineas

SALUTE THE DON yesterday turned the tables on stablemate STARDOM, holding off the closer for a three-quarter length win in the 2000 Guineas after outbattling 9-1 outsider STRONG AVEENU, who had taken over from EYE OF THE TIGER early in the stretch run.

Tracking EYE OF THE TIGER and STRONG AVEENU, who missed the break in his first race fitted with blinkers but had sliced through the pack to go second at the five pole, rail-running SALUTE THE DON was always handily placed to have a go at the leaders, though he himself had stumbled at the start.

Eager to steal the race from in front with EYE OF THE TIGER, the least experienced runner in the line-up with only two runs under his girth, Robert Halledeen pushed the speedy colt into a half-mile split of 45.4 and an unsustainable 1:11.2 for six furlongs, which STRONG AVEENU inherited a furlong and a half out.

Shifted to mid-track by Raddesh Roman from behind a dying EYE OF THE TIGER and STRONG AVEENU taking over, SALUTE THE DON got first run on the new leader, collaring him midway the last half-furlong, clocking 1:39.3 on a fast track.

STARDOM, outsprinted down the backstretch, straightening fifth and wide, some six lengths off the lead, came charging inside the final half-furlong with Dane Dawkins but too late to catch SALUTE THE DON as he had done in the Kingston Guineas prep at seven and a half furlongs.

Subratie, who was winning his fourth 2000 Guineas after landing last year’s race with SENSATIONAL SOUL, said SALUTE THE DON stumbling at the start was “probably the best thing to have happened to him” after watching his two runners flash past the post, separated by three-quarters of a length.

“The plan was to lead, but he stumbled and the jockey relaxed him afterwards,” Subratie added.

Roman, for whom SALUTE THE DON closed a three-timer on the nine-race card, said he wasn’t worried after getting SALUTE THE DON to relax against the rail.

“I know he is one of the best three-year-olds,” said Roman, admitting he had actually gone seeking advice from Dawkins, who had ridden SALUTE THE DON in his five races before switching to STARDOM for the Kingston.

“He told me not to worry about what he did at exercise because he is not an exercise horse unless he has company,” said Roman, who has now won the 2000 Guineas twice following victory astride BLUE VINYL in 2022.

Meanwhile, back-to-back outsiders, EARMARK BLITZ and DARK MATTER, rocked the Reggae 6 to its core, resulting in a $354,543 payout rivalling Saturday’s $348,316, which also featured two big upsetters, NAKAMURA at 18-1 in the opening event and 19–1 stunner GALWAY BAY in the third.

Unlike Saturday’s salvo, which sent tickets tumbling after the first three races, favourites accounted for two of the first three races on Sunday, BIG ARGUMENT opening the card at 8-5 followed by BRAHMA BULL at 5-2 and SILENT AMERICAN landing the third as an even-money favourite.

All hell broke loose after with EARMARK BITZ upstaging 6-5 favourite and stablemate HE’S SENSATIONAL, making every post a winning one at odds of 10-1, reporting off a five-month lay-up with Roman.

Phillip Parchment won the next race astride DARK MATTER, who surprisingly went off at odds of 14-1, handing the journeyman rider his 200th career win in a four-furlong straight event for optional $500,000 claimers.

Saturday’s Reggae 6 will open with a single-winner bonus of $5.4 million.