Salute The Don announced himself as a possible Triple Crown contender with a gutsy victory in Sunday’s $3.75-million 2000 Guineas at Caymanas Park, giving trainer Gary Subratie and champion jockey Raddesh Roman another big-race triumph.

In a stretch duel that had the stands roaring, Salute The Don out-finished stablemate Stardom, with Dane Dawkins aboard, and Strong Aveenue, partnered by Wesley Henry, to capture the one-mile (1,600m) feature in a three-way battle across the track.

Roman produced a patient, heady ride. He held Salute The Don off the early pace as Eye of the Tiger, with Robert Halledeen, shot to the front and took the field down the backstretch. Approaching the half-mile turn, Roman began to improve position, slipping Salute The Don into third behind Eye of the Tiger and Strong Aveenue as the tempo increased.

Turning for home, the race exploded. Eye of the Tiger and Strong Aveenue were joined by a charging Salute The Don on the outside, with Stardom launching his bid on the outside.

For a few strides it was anybody’s race, but Salute The Don dug in under Roman’s drive to get the better of his rivals in a tight, pulsating finish by three parts of length. Stardom ran a huge race to take second for the same barn, with Strong Aveenue a game third after doing much of the donkey work up. Eye of the Tiger faded late after setting the fractions. The winning time was 1:39.3 (23.4 x 45.4 x 1:11.2 x 1:25.0).

Racing continues on Saturday.