Seeking My Dream set the standard in first two Diamond Mile races
The first staging of the US$115,000 Diamond Mile took place at Caymanas Park in 2015. The inaugural winner of the Graded Stakes event for three-year-olds and upward was Seeking My Dream (Seeking The Glory – Alsafra), owned by Derrick Smith, trained by Wayne DaCosta, ridden by Omar Walker, and groomed by Linval McFarlane.
The win was achieved by a scintillating surge of speed. After Walker waited patiently as Fortuneonehundred (Orlando Foster) and Uppa Tune (Dane Nelson) engaged in a blistering duel on the lead — setting almost suicidal splits of 23.1 seconds for the first quarter and 44.3 seconds for the half-mile — Seeking My Dream made his move.
It was clinical. It was pure class. After making a perfect turn, Seeking My Dream went by rivals with disdain to establish an unassailable lead, eventually defeating Typewriter by 2½ lengths in a fast 1:36.2. Another DaCosta runner, Perfect Neighbour, was third.
There might have been doubts ahead of the second staging of the Diamond Mile at Caymanas Park in 2016.
Seeking My Dream was plagued with injuries. But he again struck “diamonds”, making it a perfect two-for-two for the team of Smith, DaCosta, Walker, and McFarlane.
When the 16 runners left the gates that Saturday, Buzz Nightmare went for the lead with stable companion Campesino nearby, along with Jamai Raja. Seeking My Dream was held off the fractions by Walker in mid-pack.
The tempo quickened leaving the five-furlong marker as Buzz Nightmare accelerated, with Campesino tracking and Jamai Raja looking ominously good. Walker kept Seeking My Dream off the pace, inching ever closer without making that final move.
Two-and-a-half furlongs (500m) out, Seeking My Dream swung to the outside as Buzz Nightmare, Campesino, and
Jamai Raja entered the straight fighting for “diamond” supremacy. Then, in one fell swoop, Seeking My Dream exploded and pulled away in emphatic fashion to win going away by five lengths.
Bigdaddykool, who was never with the front-runners, finished second, with Houdini’s Magic third.
With splits of 23.4 seconds, 47.0 seconds, and 1:10.4 for the six furlongs, Seeking My Dream stopped the clock in 1:36.2 — equalling his own Stakes record.
