Sonador breaks maiden in $1.05-m Bert By Jo Trophy
Confidence, patience, and consistency finally paid off for the connections of
Sonador as the three-year-old chestnut filly broke her maiden in style, taking the $1.05-million Bert By Jo Trophy at Caymanas Park on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Owned by Boss Baby, trained by Stedman Curtis and ridden by Dane Dawkins, Sonador made it first time lucky at the 10th attempt, winning the native-bred three-year-old maiden special weight over 4 furlongs (800m) by ¾ of a length.
It was her fourth-straight placed effort after she had finished second in each of her last three starts, and this time she left nothing to chance.
Sonador got a sharp break from the gates and immediately showed speed, holding a slim lead over Hendrix (Emelio McLean), Kamiak (Eric Haughton), and Pickleball (Bebeto Harvey) in the early stages.
She stayed with the field for the first part of the race and then made her decisive move crossing the dummy rails onto the main track. Though she shortened a bit inside the final 100m, Sonador had enough in reserve to hold off a late challenge.
Pickleball finished second, with Hendrix third. The final time was 48.3 seconds, with splits of 23.4 x 35.3.
— Ruddy Allen
