Trainer Jason DaCosta is confident that Is That A Fact is on the right track to achieve even more with the prestigious Mouttet Mile (invitational) his main target.

This optimism comes after the four-year-old American-bred colt delivered a significant victory in the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Stakes Trophy feature on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

With Shavon Townsend in the saddle, the Carlton Watson-owned Is That A Fact demonstrated patience and power, before surging through to win by 5 3/4 lengths in the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward going six furlongs (1,200m).

After splits of 23.4 x 47.1 the final time for the race was recorded at 1:12.2.

DaCosta praised the colt’s performance, noting that though he is a challenging horse to ride, with the right jockey, however, he can excel. DaCosta also said that the plan is to carefully select his races, with the ultimate goal of winning the Mouttet Mile at the end of the year.

“The performance from Is That A Fact was very good. He is a hard horse to ride and so if a jockey meshes well with him, he will get the best out of him.

“The plan is just to keep on choosing the spots for him and hopefully he will continue to improve as the main objective is the Mouttet Mile at the end of the year,” DaCosta told the
Jamaica Observer’s Supreme Racing Guide.

Is That A Fact raced behind the leaders at the start of the feature race but recovered nicely to take fourth place behind Sensational Move (Aaron Chatrie), I Am Fred (Robert Halledeen), and Jordon Reign’s (Oneil Mullings) navigating the half-mile (800m) turn.

Townsend coaxed Is That A Fact to find another gear in the deep stretch and the colt responded by weaving through the competition inside the final furlong (200m) to claim victory in convincing fashion.

Madelyn’s Sunshine (Jordan Barrett) came on late to get second place, giving Watson and DaCosta a one-two finish. Sensational Move finished in third place.

“We figured that I Am Fred would go to the lead but we didn’t know that he would get so much pressure on the headline. He was heavy in the scales and Is That A Fact was light and so the lighter horse came out on top,” DaCosta said.

“Is That A Fact was travelling best of all. I mean, he cruised down on them and looked like he could have gone through at any time. From the three-eighths pole, he looked like the winner,” DaCosta added.