KINGSTON, Jamaica – The current impasse over purse increases between trainers and the promoting company has been a perennial problem.
This writer, who understands the importance of a viable racing product and how it is achieved, predicted that the racing industry could not grow once there was a departure from a handicap system to mimic the North American claiming system. This was an easy prognostication given the vastly different economic circumstances of the two jurisdictions. Ironically, it is now failing in the USA. (US Jockey Club website)
Failure of the claiming system was guaranteed as it was established on three false premises.
Firstly, there was a baseless claim that the product lacked integrity due to the manipulation of the form of horses to facilitate successful gambling.
Secondly, the owning of racehorses could be profitable in, what was at best, a local semi-professional operation. Then thirdly, genuine mathematically generated weight allotment — the most important factor in determining the level of wagering — would not matter. Such was the lack of vision of the uninformed architects of the seriously flawed claiming system.
This is how a handicap system product that “lacked integrity” performed, as the bettors had no such perception. In 1960, the first full year of operation on the sand surface of the Caymanas Park racetrack, there were 28 race days conducted on Saturdays and public holidays. With the introduction of midweek programmes in 1970, this exceeded an annual average of more than 80 race cards over the next three decades. By 1992, the final year of operation of a 32-year-old handicap system and the third year of the digital totalisator, there were 84 race days yielding 863 races with starters averaging 115.3 per day at 11.23 per race, confirming 300 per cent growth in race cards. (1992 JRC Yearbook).
Thirty years later, in a larger Jamaican population operating within a significantly improved Jamaican economy, the claiming system is averaging less than 10 races and 10 starters per race. Going forward, I will be dealing with the excuses proffered for the 30-year claiming fiasco with the presentation of more irrefutable, data-based facts. The economic viability of the promoting company is most important, and with this racing product subsidized by owners and the Government, it struggles. Watch this space.
Now onto the race day itself.
Former three-time champion Anthony Thomas, currently fourth on 40 wins, enjoyed double-riding success. In typical fashion, the talented reinsman brought the 4-5 favourite Select Me from off the early pace to deliver victory for trainer Patrick Lynch in the 1400-metre first of the six races carded.
In contrast, Thomas had 3-1 shot Powerofherhighness in front early and paced her exceptionally well to last by three parts of a length over the 1600 metres of race four for owner/trainer Oral Hayden.
Not to be outdone, leading title-seeking Reyan “Jason” Lewis moved his season tally to 60 in riding the two winners saddled by champion and current leader Jason DaCosta.
The stable opener was the progressive, US-bred, three-year-old colt Is That A Fact — the even-money favourite who gave his supporters a six-length win margin at the end of the 1300-metre gallop for race five. Favourite at 3-5, Lure Of Lucy (USA) was just over two lengths clear in winning the 1,000-metre straight sixth and final event.
Veteran conditioner Richard Azan also made two visits to the hallowed space of the winners’ enclosure. Sent off at odds of 5-1 maiden colt Manoushe, with four-kilo claiming jockey Jawara Steadman executing the riding honours, won race two contested over 1100 metres; while in race four veteran reinsman Allen Maragh, who had only ridden four times before in 2023, opened his seasonal account with a well-timed effort aboard 2-1 chance Burlap. The race was contested over 1,000 metres round.
7 Responses
WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE..LETS REVIEW THE BLUEPRINT AND MAKE HORSE RACING BOTH PROFITABLE AND EXCITING AGAIN
They need 2 make pick 4,5 & 6 a 50cent wager in the US and Canada a majority of big track does it, it makes a big difference for the little man lik myself I guarantee they make a bigger profit
This will be passed on.
I think that there is good and bad in both the handicapping and claiming system, both can be manipulated. I remember in the handicapping system most times as a punter i would always try to get information to know if a horse was trying, because quite a few trainers were good at manipulating the system. I know you can remember when some trainers would have there horse in E class win by a wide margin would go up in class bide there time, go back down in class and just wait until they are ready to try again and the they win again by a wide margin. I think we dont need a return of a full handicapping system, we need a mixture of both system. They need to find a way to combine the best of both because none of them is perfect.
Its so wrong to think that the number of horse race programmes in Jamaica has not grown over the years because of the claiming system. there are so many reasons other than racing while this has happened. Just naming a few. (1) The devaluation of the Jamaican dollar. (2) High inflation (3) The increase of government taxes (4) High crime rate. (5) The horse breeding industry has not grown much. It does not matter what system you have if you dont have real improvement in the Jamaican economy there will be no real growth in local horse racing. There has been some efforts recently for example the reduction of taxes that can directly improve the racing industry.
A lot of race tracks has closed down across the world, are you saying that they all closed down because of the claiming system. Track has closed down where there were just handicapping system. With time a lot of things have changed and racing is no exception. What need to be done is little more evaluation but certainly returning to straight handicapping is certainly a backward step. Whatever system is in place there will always be individuals who will always try to manipulate the system.
Well said.