Fernando, the two-year-old chestnut colt, had a stellar performance on Saturday, August 23, 2025, effortlessly brushing aside rivals in a maiden special weight event over three furlongs (600m).

Despite his impressive win, trainer Anthony “Baba” Nunes knows that Fernando has some underlying issues that need to be addressed.

The colt’s temperamental nature, particularly at the starting gates, is a major concern for Nunes.

“He’s a nice little sprinter, but we have a lot of work to do at the starting gates. He’s really temperamental, and we’re going to spend a lot of time with him before we bring him back to the races,” Nunes told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

Fernando’s issues with the starting gates are not new. In fact, his intended debut on August 2 was scratched due to his unpredictable behaviour.

“He flipped over the saddle barn on his intentional debut, he didn’t hurt himself, but we didn’t want that to be his first experience. So, along with the vet on the day, we decided that the best thing for him was not to run him on that day,” Nunes said,

Despite these challenges, Fernando (Successful Native– Dancing Queen) showed promise in his winning performance, crossing the line 2¼ lengths clear of his rivals in a time of 36.3 (25.0). Infinity Star (Dane Dawkins) finished second and Comuna Trece (Clive Lynch) came in third place.

However, Nunes is prioritising Fernando’s development and well-being over immediate racing success.

“We basically tried to spend quite a bit of time with him, and he came today and delivered,” Nunes said.

“Wednesday, we took him to the gates, and he raised a ruckus. The gate crew really worked with me to get him to run today, but we’re going to have to spend a lot of time with him before I bring him back to the races,” he added.