Salute The Don put himself firmly in the Triple Crown conversation on Sunday after battling to victory in the $3.75-million 2000 Guineas at Caymanas Park, handing trainer Gary Subratie and champion jockey Raddesh Roman another major success.
The one-mile, 1,600-metre event came down to a fierce drive to the line, with the crowd fully drawn into the finish. Salute The Don, ridden by Roman, got the better of stable companion Stardom, partnered by Dane Dawkins, and Strong Aveenue, who had Wesley Henry in the saddle, as the three runners spread across the track in the closing stages.
Roman rode with patience from the start, keeping Salute The Don away from the early speed while Eye of the Tiger, under Robert Halledeen, quickly moved in front and led the field along the backstretch.
Near the half-mile bend, Roman asked his mount to creep closer. Salute The Don advanced into third, sitting behind Eye of the Tiger and Strong Aveenue as the pace began to sharpen.
The contest opened up at the top of the lane. Eye of the Tiger and Strong Aveenue were challenged by Salute The Don on the outer, while Stardom also delivered his run from wide out.
For a short spell the result was wide open, but Salute The Don kept finding for Roman and forced his way ahead to win by three-quarters of a length. Stardom produced a strong effort for second from the same Subratie yard, while Strong Aveenue held third after carrying much of the workload. Eye of the Tiger weakened late after setting the splits.
The winner stopped the clock at 1:39.3, with fractions of 23.4, 45.4, 1:11.2 and 1:25.0. Racing is scheduled to resume on Saturday.
Syndicated from Jamaica Observer · originally published .
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