TAYLOR Made and Salute The Don showcased their prowess on the track with commanding wins in the Hotline and Sir Howard Stakes races, respectively, at Caymanas Park on Saturday, setting themselves up as strong contenders for the upcoming Classic series of races.

Taylor Made, trained by Jason DaCosta and ridden by Robert Halledeen, dominated the 34th running of the Hotline Stakes, winning by four and a quarter lengths ahead of stablemate Dream Catcher (Shaheem Gordon) and favourite Giving Thanks (Tevin Foster).

The filly, a daughter of Aveenu Malcainu and Another Fury, clocked 1:14.2 over the six-furlong (1,200m) distance, demonstrating her speed and class.

In the Sir Howard Stakes, Salute The Don, trained by Gary Subratie and ridden by Dane Dawkins, was equally impressive, romping home by nine and a half lengths ahead of So Lucky Am I and Mohanlal.

The chestnut colt, also a product of Aveenu Malcainu, completed the six-furlong distance in 1:13.4, showcasing his exceptional talent.

Both the Hotline and Sir Howard Stakes, which kicked off the ‘Road to the Triple Crown’ series, carried a purse of $1.2 million each and were restricted to native-bred, three-year-old, non-winners of two races, with the Hotline Stakes limited to fillies and the Sir Howard Stakes open to colts and geldings.

The action continues this weekend with races on Saturday and Sunday.

— Ruddy Allen