Jason DaCosta's Mamma Mia, the 1000 Guineas winner, and Richard Azan's 2000 Guineas conqueror Mojito, were both hunting what would have been the second jewel in the Triple Crown series, but Thalita, also conditioned by DaCosta, spoiled the party, as she copped the 97th running of the Jamaica St Leger in commanding fashion on Saturday.

By virtue of this victory in the native-bred three-year-old Futurity contest over 10 furlongs (2,000m), Thalita prolonged punters wait to witness another Triple Crown triumph at Caymanas Park, since Supreme Soul's feat in 2019, and it was a joy for DaCosta.

Sent off at 9-1 in a 12-horse field, Thalita, partnered with leading rider Reyan Lewis came from behind competitors in an exciting stretch run to win by a comfortable six-length margin. 

DaCosta will now have to decide on whether to run the Carlton Watson-owned filly in the Jamaica Oaks at the same distance or the blue riband Jamaica Derby over 12 furlongs (2,400m).

"My two fillies are pretty close in ability and both horses couldn't win so we had to come up with a plan where one goes to the lead and take the pressure and the other came off the pace. So, it worked out well and this one is ranked high in my achievements because nobody gave us a chance, everybody was talking about one horse Mojito and rightly so, so it's a good feeling to beat the odds-on favourite in a race like this," DaCosta said in a post-race interview.

At the off, it was Mamma Mia (Phillip Parchment) that expectedly dictated terms with Princess Sharon (Youville Pinnock), Thalita and Sensational Move (Shamaree Muir), all in a tight bunch heading into the clubhouse turn.

On the back stretch Mamma Mia and Princess Sharon continued their duel up front, with Huntsman (Raddesh Roman) and Mojito (Dane Dawkins), moving into striking positions, however, the latter who broke from the number one draw was bogged down on the inside rail and, as such, had no space for a run as the tempo increased.

When Mamma Mia and Princess Sharon made their moves and opened up a gap leaving the half mile, Thalita came knocking at the door and by the time they turned for home, the Soul Warrior-Luminous Trieste charger briskly swept by Princess Sharon and from there it was a matter of how far she would win, as the big favourite Mojito was nowhere to be seen.

Money Miser (Tevin Foster) closed well to snatch second from Princess Sharon, with Rhythm Buzz (Anthony Thomas) in fourth. Mamma Mia and Mojito placed fifth and eighth, respectively.

Thalita covered the distance in 2:11.0, behind splits of 24.1, 51.1, 1:15.4 and 1:41.4.

It was the second winner on the card for Lewis, who earlier won aboard Zabratone in the ninth race for trainer Nicholas Smith.

Dane Dawkins was the pick among the riders as the champion jockey tallied three winners on the 10-race card, following the abandonment of the second race. 

Dawkins partnered Secret Traveller for trainer Robert Ffrench in the fifth race; Atomica for trainer Gary Subratie in the supporting feature Clovis Metcalfe Trophy; and God of Love for trainer Rowan Mathie in the Midnight Angel Trophy.

Meanwhile, trainer Lawrence Freemantle topped his peers on the day with two winners. He saddled the Love of God (Javaniel Patterson) in the first race and Shadowfax (Raddesh Roman) in the third race.

Veteran jockey Shane Ellis stylishly completed his 21st Classic triumph as the unfancied colt Calculus swept to a commanding upset win in Saturday’s Jamaica St Leger in his first run for trainer Gary Subratie.

The 4-5 favourite Miniature Man was a disappointing sixth as Calculus rebounded from a seventh-place finish in the early June 2000 Guineas to land the Betmakers JA$4.5 Million (US$30,126) St Leger by 6-3/4 lengths. He scored at 7-1 odds and handed Trinidadian owner Chevan Maharaj his second St Leger win at Caymanas Park in three years.

As Ellis surged to his fifth St Leger success and trainer Subratie his second in a row, the 3-2 second favourite Further and Beyond was second and the Fillies Guineas winner She’s a Wonder (9-2) third a further length and a quarter behind.

“Number five is very very sweet,” said Ellis after triumphantly reuniting with Maharaj, whose colt Supreme Soul had given the ex-champion jockey his first Triple Crown victory in 2019.

It was Ellis’s first race aboard Calculus as the colt, bred by Sensational Slam out of the Bernardini mare Trinket, recorded his third win from eight lifetime starts.

Out of the starting gates, the 2000 Guineas champion Miniature Man cruised out of the three-box to lead and went to the mile pole in front, chased by the 93-1 outsider Simba the Lion and last year’s champion two-year-old Further and Beyond.

Ellis made a sharp move forward leaving the six-furlong marker and in a flash had surged from seventh to fourth on the heels of the front running trio.

Calculus and Further and Beyond quickened away from a fading Miniature Man for a duel leaving the half-mile while She’s a Wonder accelerated into a challenging third position coming off the final bend.

Ellis was off the rail as he engaged reigning co-champion jockey Dane Nelson aboard Further and Beyond on his outside while She’s a Wonder darted to the rail for her homestretch challenge.

The battle was brief as Calculus responded to a few left-handed cracks of the whip and pulled clear for the big win that Ellis thinks makes him favourite for the August 6 Jamaica Derby.

“He’ll be the one to beat for sure,” said Ellis, who already has five Derby wins.

Calculus clocked two minutes 08 and 4/5ths of a second for the 10-furlong trip.

“It feels very good, I love my fans because they know when it comes to big races, Shane Ellis is the man,” added the 47-year-old who also won St Leger races aboard Typewriter (2012), Relampago (2014), Marquesas (2018) and Supreme Soul two years ago.

Subratie, who won last year’s St Leger with 31-1 outsider Nipster, only took charge of Calculus – coming from the Anthony Nunes stables -- in recent weeks. The colt arrived at his stables on June 7 when Maharaj purchased him from another T&T owner Shivam Maharaj.

In spite of Calculus’s failure to win from three starts since his Sir Howard Stakes Guineas prep victory in mid-March, Subratie said he anticipated a strong St Leger effort.

“I expected him to run very well because he has beaten those horses, some of them before. He had some issues, it took a couple of weeks to kind of figure it out,” Subratie said, adding that Calculus will be the horse to beat in the Derby. “Most definitely he just showed it.”