Legacy Isle smashes 35-y-o Eros record as Dream Catcher takes 1000 Guineas
WHILE Dream Catcher claimed the spotlight with an emphatic win in the $3.75-million 1000 Guineas Classic for fillies on Saturday, it was Rohan Crichton’s Legacy Isle who stole the show after obliterating a 35-year-old track record in the Eros Trophy.
Legacy Isle turned the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward into a one-horse show, stopping the clock at 1:22.3 for seven furlongs (1,400m) to erase the legendary Eros’s 1:22.4 mark set in 1991.
Under a confident ride from Raddesh Roman, Legacy Isle began to assert himself leaving the five-furlong marker. Once he hit the front the six-year-old bay horse never let up. He turned on the pressure in deep stretch and drew off powerfully to score by 3¼ lengths, sending a buzz through the Caymanas Park stands as the long-standing record finally fell. Girvano (Tevin Foster) finished second and Nautical Star (Jordan Barrett) was third.
The performance overshadowed what was otherwise a marquee day at the track.
A race later, Dream Catcher lived up to her name with an outright win in the fillies’ Classic, taking the Futurity contest in commanding fashion. She won ahead of stablemate Taylor Made (Robert Halledeen) and Giving Thanks (Reyan Lewis) in a time of 1:41.2.
Racing continues on Sunday with the running of the $3.75-million 2000 Guineas Classic for colts and geldings.
— Ruddy Allen