Headliner (horse)
| Headliner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sire | Headline News |
| Grandsire | Silver Train |
| Dam | B's Passion |
| Damsire | Precise Sweep |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | 17 March 2022 |
| Country | Trinidad |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Mrs. Diane Scott |
| Owner | Mrs. Diane Scott |
| Trainer | John O'Brien |
| Record | 11:8-1-0 |
| Earnings | TT ~$285,598.00 |
| Major wins | |
| First Citizens Juvenile Championship (2024) Chief Commander Classic (2025) Champagne Stakes (2026) Trinidadian Classic Races wins: Guineas (2025) Midsummer Classic (2025) Trinidad Derby (2025) | |
| Awards | |
| 13th Trinidadian Triple Crown Champion (2025) | |
Headliner (foaled March 17, 2022) is an active Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the Trinidadian Triple Crown in 2025. He was undefeated for two starts in 2024, including the Grade 2 First Citizens Juvenile Championship. He maintained his winning streak for five more starts during 2025, consecutively winning three Grade 1s in the Guineas, Midsummer Classic, and Trinidad Derby, completing the Trinidadian Triple Crown while undefeated.
Background
Headliner is a chestnut colt with a white star and strip that widens to the left side of his nose. He has one white pastern on his back left leg. He races in the Canary colors of his owner, Diane Scott, and is trained by John O'Brien.
Headliner's sire, Headline News, is notable for defeating multiple time Jamaican Horse of the Year Bigman In Town twice, once in the Gold Cup Grade 1 and once in the Starlight Stakes; Headline News also won another Grade 1 in the 2014 Champagne Stakes.[1] Headline News is sired by Silver Train, a Breeders' Cup Sprint (2005) winner. Headline News' other notable progeny include Making Headlines, In The Headlines, and Headlines Again; Headliner's full sister, In The Headlines, also completed the Triple Crown two years prior in 2023, being similarly undefeated during the achievement.[2]
Headliner's dam, B's Passion, won the graded Oaks Stakes and Royal Colours Classic, being Grade 2 and Grade 3 events respectively.[3][4] She is sired by Precise Sweep, a son of End Sweep, a successful American sire who won the Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes in 1994.[5]
Racing career
2024: Two-year-old Season
On November 30th, 2024, Headliner debuted with The Native Bred 3 Y.O Maidens, at Arima Race course, covering 1100 meters.[6] Jockeyed by Dillon Khelawan, Headliner was out of the gate slow, but won by a length. His next race was the 1350 meter Grade 2 First Citizens Juvenile Championship on December 26th, 2024. He was once again ridden by Khelawan, and won by two and a half lengths.[7]
2025: Three-year-old Season
His first race of the year was with a 2,000 meter modified benchmark on January 25th.[8] Headliner led the pack until the end, leading by six lengths, but ultimately finishing by four. After his three-year-old debut, he was onto the 1,600 meter Chief Commander Classic on March 29th.[9] He maintained a four length lead throughout the race, winning the race with a four and a third length gap between him and second placer Showtime.
After the Chief Commander Classic, the next goal was the Trinidadian Triple Crown. The first jewel was the Guineas on May 30th, an 1,800 meter race; Starting on the outside in post seven, the final ruling was Headliner first by ten lengths and a third, with Free Pass in second and Valiante in third; The race's final running time was 1:58.10.[10][11] His jockey, Dillon Khelawan, said about his "exceptional" performance in the Guineas, "I thought that coming to the corner I should expect some challenges but that did not happen, [...] Headliner just kept up the gallop all the way up the straight. That is how classy he is."[12]
On August 1, Headliner ran in the Midsummer Classic, another 1,800 meter race, and the second of the Triple Crown races. 1/9 in the betting, Headliner took first by six and a forth lengths.[13] Following the Midsummer Classic, on September 24th Headliner went on to win the Trinidad Derby, the final leg of the Trinidadian Triple Crown. He finished the race twelve lengths and a half over second place colt Have A Great Day.[14]
Headliner was jockey Khelawan's first Triple Crown success; Khelawan said that the colt had shown "Remarkable improvement", and went on to say he had "Never doubted [Headliner] would win the Triple Crown".[15]
On December 6th Headliner ran in the Stewards Cup, placing second to Hello World by five lengths, making the race his first loss in his career.[16]
2026: Four-year-old Season
After his loss at the Stewards Cup, he was entered in for the Grade 1 Gold Cup on December 26th, however he did not show for the race. [17]
Headliner was then transported to Barbados to run in the Grade 1 Tanglewood Stakes & Trophy, arriving in the country on January 23rd. Despite starting strongly, he fell behind as the race continued, and ultimately placed last among the eleven horse field.[18] Headliner's loss in the Tanglewood Stakes was followed by a three-month stay in Barbados, before returning to Trinidad on March 20th.
On April 6th, Headliner was entered to race in the 1,600 meter Champagne Stakes as his return race; He led the race from start to finish, beating six-year-old Gold Cup shower El Chico Malo by a length in the process.[19]
After a win in the Champagne Stakes, Headliner competed in another 1,500 benchmark race. Similar to his performance in the Tanglewood, he started strongly out the gate, was challenged by Sneaky Cheeky into second, lost speed as the race approached the final furlongs, and placed last for a second time in his career.[20]
Headliner returned to racing three weeks later on June 19th, where he ran in the Grade 3 President's Cup; In an improvement from his last start, he won the 1,900 meter race by fourteen and a half lengths, with The Goddess Nike coming in second.
Racing statistics
The data below has been sourced from Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority, and the Arima Race Club Official Website.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][16]
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance | HN | Odds | Finish | Time
(race time) |
Loss Margin (win margin) | Jockey | Winner
(Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 – two-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Nov 30 | Arima | Native Bred 2 Y.O. Maidens | 1,100 m | 2 | 1/5 | 1st | 1:09.4 | (1) | Dillon Khelawan | (Valiante) | |
| Dec 26 | Arima | First Citizens Juvenile Championship | GII | 1,350 m | 5 | 1/1 | 1st | 1:25.3 | (2½) | Dillon Khelawan | (Marmalade) |
| 2025 – three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Jan 25 | Arima | Modified Benchmark 3 Y.O. & Over (45-30) | 1,500 m | 2 | 1/5 | 1st | 1:36.4 | (4) | Dillon Khelawan | (Schwarzenegger) | |
| Mar 29 | Arima | Chief Commander Classic | GII | 1,600 m | 6 | 1/9 | 1st | 1:39.4 | (4¾) | Dillon Khelawan | (Showtime) |
| May 30 | Arima | Guineas | GI | 1,800 m | 7 | 1/9 | 1st | 1:58.0 | (10¾) | Dillon Khelawan | (Free Pass) |
| Aug 1 | Arima | Midsummer Classic | GI | 1,800 m | 4 | 1/9 | 1st | 1:57.4 | (6¼) | Dillon Khelawan | (Free Pass) |
| Sep 24 | Arima | Trinidad Derby Stakes | GI | 2,000 m | 1 | 1/5 | 1st | 2:09.4 | (12½) | Dillon Khelawan | (Have A Great Day) |
| Dec 6 | Arima | Steward's Cup | GI | 1,200 m | 3 | 8/5 | 2nd | (1:12.0) | 4¼ | Ricky Jadoo | Hello World |
| 2026 – four-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Feb 7 | Barbados Turf | XXIII Tanglewood Stakes & Trophy | GI | 2,000 m | 6 | 6/1 | 11th | (2:09.4) | 24½ | Arron Daniel | Pussykat |
| Apr 6 | Arima | Champagne Stakes | GIII | 1,600 m | 2 | 8/5 | 1st | 1:38.4 | (1) | Tristan Phillips | (El Chico Malo) |
| May 30 | Arima | Modified Benchmark 3 Y.O. & Over (70+) | 1,500 m | 6 | 1/5 | 6th | (1:31.1) | 2¼ | Dillon Khelawan | The Goddess Nike | |
| Jun 19 | Arima | President's Cup | GIII | 1,900 m | 5 | 3/5 | 1st | 2:00.3 | 14½ | Dillon Khelawan | The Goddess Nike |
Pedigree
Source:[28]
| Sire Headline News (TRI) b. 2010 |
Silver Train (USA) d.b. 2002 |
Old Trieste (USA) | A.P. Indy (USA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovelier Linda (USA) | |||
| Ridden In The Stars (USA) | Cormorant (USA) | ||
| Shelter Strait (USA) | |||
| IGOTASPELLONU (USA) | Grand Slam (USA) | Gone West (USA) | |
| Bright Candles (USA) | |||
| Dutchess Mojo (USA) | Deputy Minister (CAN) | ||
| Blissful (USA) | |||
| Dam B's Passion (TRI) dk. b. 2008 |
Precise Sweep (USA) dk. b. 1999 |
End Sweep (USA) | Forty Niner (USA) |
| Broom Dance | |||
| Precisely (USA) | Summing (USA) | ||
| Crisp N' Clear (USA) | |||
| Flying Millie (JAM) | Sir Lal Bahadur (CAN) | Vice Regent (CAN) | |
| Forleana (CAN) | |||
| Flying Mal (USA) | Aeronaut (USA) | ||
| My Gal Mal (USA) |
References
- ↑ "Headline News not good at all". www.guardian.co.tt.
A commanding victory over Bigman in Town in the Republic Bank Gold Cup was followed by a thrashing of his rivals this year in the Caribbean Turf Championship, the Starlight Stakes, the Champagne Stakes and the Carnival Messiah Stakes. He defeated Bigman in Town for a second time in the Starlight Stakes and some of the best imported turf stayers in the Champagne Stakes. One could not help but get the impression that this colt was still improving and the sky was the limit in terms of what he could have achieved.
- ↑ "In The Headlines wins Derby and Triple Crown". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
- ↑ "Oaks stakes (Fillies - 3 y.o. w.i. bred)" (PDF). www.ttra.net.
- ↑ "Royal colours classic (gr. III) nominated 3 y.o. creoles" (PDF). www.ttra.net.
- ↑ "Equibase". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
- ↑ "Raceday 12 – Saturday, November 30th 2024 – Race 3 Track Sloppy Turf Off – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ "Raceday 13 – Thursday, December 26th 2024 – Race 3 – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ "Raceday 01 – Saturday, January, 25th 2025 – Race 6 Turf Good – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ↑ "Raceday 03 – Saturday, March 29th 2025 – Race 6 – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ "Raceday 05 – Friday, May 30th 2025 – Race 5 – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ Arima Race Club (2025-05-30). Arima Race Club - Day 5 May 30th 2025 Race-5. Retrieved 2025-12-09 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Headliner won as he liked". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ "Raceday 07 – Friday, August 01st 2025 – Race 7 – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ "Raceday 09 – Wednesday, September 24th 2025 – Race 6 – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ↑ "Khelawan first Triple Crown success". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- 1 2 "Raceday 11 – Saturday December, 06th 2025 – Race 5 Track: Wet-Fast – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ↑ "Raceday 12 – Friday December, 26th 2025 – Race 5 Track: Fast". arimaraceclub.com. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
- ↑ "RESULTS FOR FEBRUARY 7, 2026 (THE COOLMORE "HOME OF CHAMPIONS" RACEDAY)". Official Website of the Barbados Turf Club. 2026-02-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
- ↑ "Entries & Results – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Entries & Results – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "HorsesInfo". www.ttra.net. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
- ↑ "Raceday 12 – Saturday, November 30th 2024 – Race 3 Track Sloppy Turf Off – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ↑ "Raceday 13 – Thursday, December, 26th 2024 – Race 3 Track Fast Turf Good – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ↑ "Raceday 01 – Saturday, January, 25th 2025 – Race 6 Turf Good – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ↑ "Raceday 03 – Saturday, March, 29th 2025 – Race 6 Track: Fast Turf: Firm – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ↑ "Raceday 05 – Friday May, 30th 2025 – Race 5 Track: Sloppy Turf: Off – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ↑ "Raceday 09 – Wednesday September, 24th 2025 – Race 6 Track: Sloppy – Arima Race Club". Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ↑ "Headliner Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2025-12-10.