Champion and current leading trainer Jason DaCosta has the upper hand in afternoon’s fourth running of the $3 million The Portmore (GII) feature with two of the leading contenders, Banadura and Comehometome, in the seven-and-a-half furlong (1,500m) event.

Banadura (Casual Trick – Esperanza) has raced two times this season and has been nothing but brilliant in her races. The three-year-old bay filly has claimed the first two major prep races on the ‘Road to the Triple Crown’ — the Hotline Stakes over six furlongs (1,200m) on March 23 and the Thornbird Stakes over seven furlongs (1,400m) on April 13.

Comehometome (Northern Giant – Heart of Gold) has raced six times this year without a win but has finished in second place on four of those occasions and third once.
Comehometome was third by 6½ lengths behind Banadura in the Hotline Stakes, but showed improvement in finishing second by 1¼ lengths behind her stablemate in the Thornbird Stakes.

The Portmore, the final preparation race for native-bred three-year-old fillies on the ‘Road to the Triple Crown’ is positioned as the 10th and final event on the day. The Graded Stakes has a post time of 5:50 pm with the first race at high noon.

Banadura, the current leading filly of her peers, has been asked to step up in distance here, but based on her two wins this season, she can win again. She worked 1:16.4 for six furlongs on Sunday, April 28, a smooth gallop coming into this race. Robert Halledeen remains in the saddle.

Comehometome will enjoy this distance to the fullest. Although her preparation coming into this less attractive than
Banadura, Comehometome, based on running style and staying capabilities, could get up in time for the win. She worked six furlongs in 1:17.1 on Sunday, April 28. Tevin Foster replaces Josue Osorio in the saddle.

The race is not limited to these two runners as the Ian Parsard-conditioned Run Julie Run can take them down if focused.

Run Julie Run was voted as the champion two-year-old filly from last season after finishing second to overall champion Intrestntimesahead in the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes on December 26, 2023. However, Run Julie Run has failed to live up to expectations as a three-year-old. She has raced twice this season and finished in third place on both occasions.

Going into the Thornbird Stakes, Run Julie Run was adjusted as the favourite, but the grey filly finished just two lengths behind Banadura and Comehometome. Run Julie Run seems the staying type and could land the gambit here. Run Julie Run worked six furlongs in 1:14.0 on Sunday, April 28, more encouraging than both Banadura’s and Comehometome’s gallops. Champion jockey Reyan Lewis replaces six-time champion Omar Walker in the irons.

Ones to watch:

Race 1)
Another Wave/Tequila Blue/Stanislaus

Race 2)
Jaguar/AKA Storm/Traditional Lady

Race 3)
Super Alex/Cookie Day N Night/Kai On The Go

Race 4)
Millinium Star/Who Doneit/Dancing With A Cat

Race 5)
Storm/Prince Marshall/Regal and Royal

Race 6)
Brittbrianexpress/Glittering Star/Readmylips

Race 7)
Is That A Fact/Yellowstone/Bootylicious

Race 8)
Rosetta/Immeasurable Joy/Kencia

Race 9)
Princess Fianie/Kaylyn Melody/Himaya

Race 10)
Run Julie Run/Banadura/Comehometome