Foster holds his nerve as Dothraki breaks Stakes Record in Port Royal Sprint

TEVIN Foster may have started with a plan to sit off the pace but when five-year-old, American-bred, Dothraki surged to the front within strides of the break, the in form jockey trusted his mount, let him relax, and dictated all the way to a courageous, Stakes Record-breaking victory in the $2.5-million Port Royal Sprint at Caymanas Park on Monday, October 19, 2026. The Jason DaCosta-trained bay horse, considered one of the island’s top sprinters, stopped the clock in a Stakes record time of 1:11.2 for six furlongs (1,200m) to just hold off the fast-finishing Nautical Star (Tajay Suckoo) by a neck in the Graded Stakes contest for three-year-olds and upward. The previous mark was 1:12.0 done by Mahogany in 2023. Owned by Carlton Watson and bred as a son of Into Mischief out of Vanquished, Dothraki showed his class from the off. In an eight-horse field it was a clean break for most, but Dothraki was quickest into stride. He quickly surrounded rivals and shot to the front, leading Pack Plays (Emelio McLean), Desert of Malibu (Dane Dawkins) and Pepper Stepper (Robert Halledeen), who recovered from a poor start, into the half-mile turn. Navigating the bend, Dothraki upped the tempo. Coming into the lane, he opened a clear advantage and looked all over a comfortable winner as he shook clear of the field. But the final furlong tested his courage.

Dothraki (#7-Tevin Foster) just holds off the fast-finishing Nautical Star (Tajay Suckoo) to win the $2.5-million Port Royal Sprint in a new Stakes record time at Caymanas Park on Monday, October 19, 2026. (Photo: Naphatli Junior)

Signs of fatigue began to show, and Nautical Star, closing with serious purpose on the inside, threatened to spoil the party. Dothraki dug deep to hold on, with Of A Revolution (Tyrese Anderson) finishing third. Afterward, Foster explained the ride that made the difference. “I was as confident as any other jockey in the race. I knew there was going to be a speed duel up front — and my game plan was to watch them at first — but I found the lead so I just let him relax and then dictated the pace from there,” Foster said. “The fact that I got him to relax was why he held on at the end — because if I never got him to relax he probably would have come under pressure at the top of the straight — so, the relaxing did a lot for him. And when I asked him, he gave me a kick and held on, so I give thanks for that,” he added.