Third Mouttet goes to Funcaandun

TEARS FLOWED in the winner’s enclosure at Caymanas Park yesterday as champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s local-based American, FUNCAANDUN, outbattled Gulfstream Park invader, LEGACY ISLE, to win the US$250,000 Mouttet Mile by a half-length.

Ridden by Robert Halledeen for champion owner Carlton Watson, FUNCAANDUN, a three-year-old son of Klimt, by the Empire Maker mare, Fiftyshadesoffun, sat fourth along the rail down the backstretch while stablemate BANADURA played rabbit with 108lb, first running United States-bred DESERT OF MALIBU off her legs before carrying the field to the half-mile marker where LEGACY ISLE pounced to the roar of punters, who had made him the favourite for a repeat win by trainer Rohan Crichton, whose ROUGH ENTRY won last year’s race.

LEGACY ISLE, who left quarantine at Plumb Point, Port Royal, 11 days before the event, turned for home two lengths ahead of PACK PLAYS with FUNCAANDUN third, but full of running, quickly going second two furlongs out.

Florida-based jockey, Venezuelan Emisael Jaramillo, dug into his bag of tricks a furlong out, switching to left-handed whipping, drifting LEGACY ISLE to meet FUNCAANDUN’s mid-track challenge.

RICHEST HORSE RACING PURSE

In a last-furlong battle worthy of the Caribbean’s richest horse-racing purse, Halledeen conjured a very late rally from FUNCAANDUN to beat LEGACY ISLE by a half-length, setting off a wave of emotions played out in the winner’s enclosure.

Halledeen, who had jubilantly given Jaramillo a tall-in-the-saddle ‘drive-by’ at the winning post, returned tearful to the winner’s enclosure, with face in hand, afterwards describing the emotion as “a wonderful feeling. I can’t even express it.”

DaCosta, who literally grew up at Caymanas Park as a toddler, watching his late father, 18-time champion Wayne DaCosta, win Diamond Mile events, the Mouttet Mile forerunner, with SEEKING MY DREAM and SHE’S A MANEATER, was overcome with memories of his Hall-of-Famer father.

“It means everything. It’s a lot of hard work. This is just icing on the cake,” said DaCosta, who returned to Jamaica in 2021 after his father passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, finishing second in the trainers’ championship to Anthony Nunes that season before taking charge with back-to-back titles, 2022-2023.

DaCosta said FUNCAANDUN, who finished a well-beaten third behind ATOMICA and RUN JULIE RUN in the November 9 Jamaica Cup, delivered on the day that mattered.

“I always had high hopes for him. He had a very good campaign this year. He’s a three-year-old, always improving. For him to win this race, cements what I expected of him.”

Local racing, DaCosta expressed, will only get better with events such as the Mouttet Mile with its winner’s purse of $20.9 million, as well as the wildly popular BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series.

“It’s very encouraging. The momentum is here right now. The card today was almost all full fields. The Millionaires Series and Mouttet Mile are encouraging events for all owners.”

Meanwhile, Dennis Smith, part-owner, LEGACY ISLE, gave DaCosta his kudos.

“All credit to Jason DaCosta, said Smith, whose runner earned $7 million.

“FUNCAANDUN was well presented and well ridden,” said Smith, who teamed with Crichton for victory in 2023 with ROUGH ENTRY, at the same time sending out his warning ahead of 2025.

“LEGACY ISLE will be here next year. It will be a different LEGACY ISLE. I can promise that,” said Smith.

Crichton’s other American invader, COMMANDANT, ridden by Dane Nelson, finished third, earning $3.45 million, looming large on the outside in the stretch run but was outfinished by FUNCAANDUN and stablemate LEGACY ISLE.

Racing continues at the weekend with Saturday-Sunday meets.