Two win-and-you’re-in Mouttet Mile events Sunday

November 10, 2025
FUNCAANDUN (right) ridden by Tevin Foster, winning The Distinctly Irish Trophy ahead of ATOMICA (Omar Walker) over nine furlongs and 20 yards at Caymanas Park on Saturday, August 24, 2024.
FUNCAANDUN (right) ridden by Tevin Foster, winning The Distinctly Irish Trophy ahead of ATOMICA (Omar Walker) over nine furlongs and 20 yards at Caymanas Park on Saturday, August 24, 2024.

SUNDAY's Jamaica Cup Day features two win-and-you're-in events for the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile set for Saturday, December 6 - the Jamaica Cup at nine and a half furlongs and the six-furlong Port Royal Sprint.

Champion trainer Jason DaCosta has six runners entered for the Jamaica Cup, including last year's Mouttet Mile winner, home-based American, FUNCAANDUN, who outbattled Florida invader LEGACY ISLE, to deny Rohan Crichton back-to-back Mouttet Mile winners last year.

However, FUNCAANDUN must win the Jamaica Cup to have a shot at defending his title. Sent out by the champion combination of DaCosta and owner Carlton Watson, FUNCAANDUN was one of the most dominant horses last season, winning the Gold Cup among other grade-one races.

The American crowned 2024 by landing the US$250,000 Mouttet Mile but now languishes 24th in earnings on a list of 30 local-based horses hoping to make a cut of 13.

The Jamaica Cup, which is restricted to a 12-horse field due to the clubhouse turn, which comes up sharply, a furlong and a half after the start of the event.

Though FUNCAANDUN must conquer the win-and-you're-in Jamaica Cup for a shot at the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile purse, DaCosta holds a strong hand with three runners already qualified including an American invader, DOTHRAKI, who showed his class with an impressive win on his local debut.

DOTHRAKI is one of three Americans flown in and guaranteed automatic spots in the 16-horse Mouttet Mile, joined by Robert Pearson's FORTUNA BELLE and Anthony Nunes' NAUTICAL STAR, a United States-bred flown in from Guyana.

DaCosta's other qualifier is I DREAM AGAIN, guaranteed a spot after winning August's Jamaica Derby. I DREAM AGAIN will line up in the Jamaica Cup alongside his American stablemates GIRVANO and H TWO O.

Whereas GIRVANO sits sixth among 30 hoping to make the 13-horse cut, H TWO O has no chance of making the Mouttet Mile unless he should somehow win the Jamaica Cup.

CALIFORNIA CROWN and MAMMA MIA rounds out DaCosta's six-horse posse for the Jamaica Cup, joined by last year's Jamaica Derby runner-up, Ian Parsard's RUN JULIE RUN, who sits 12th in earnings.

The filly BURNING HEDGE, runner-up to I DREAM AGAIN in the Jamaica Derby, also takes her place in the Jamaica Cup as the second-highest earning local-bred behind the already-qualified derby winner.

Gary Subratie's pair of SENSATIONAL SOUL and PRETTY PERFECT, winners of last year's Jamaica Derby and the recent Winston Griffiths Classic, complete the Jamaica Cup line-up.

LINGUIST, this year's Jamaica Oaks winner, 11th on the Mouttet Mile earnings list, is among the runners down for the Port Royal Sprint, joined by American RIDEALLDAY, runner-up to this year's Gold Cup winner, LEGACY ISLE.

RIDEALLDAY sits eighth in earnings for the Mouttet Mile, one spot ahead of fellow American PACK PLAYS, who is also in the Port Royal Sprint line-up.

sports@gleanerjm.com

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