KINGSTON, Jamaica - Caymanas Park over the last seven days has become the epicentre of all the major happenings on ‘The Rock’.
The furore surrounding the disqualification of Tekapunt on October 19, 2024, followed by the wild response by punters, and then the actions taken by the Racing Commission reverberated across the island with anxiety.
Racing was again in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, the nation’s only racetrack, Caymanas Park, witnessed an extraordinary feat as two track records were broken in consecutive races.
The excitement began in the second race of the day, a maiden event for two-year-olds. The field of eight, comprising six fillies and two colts, lined up at the starting gate, eager to make their mark.
As the gates swung open, a bay filly named Mighty Gully, trained by Robert Pearson and ridden by Abigail Able, burst from her starting barrier and quickly established a lead. Despite her youthful exuberance, Mighty Gully powering through the 4 ½ furlong distance while showing her greenness.
The clock stopped at 53.1 seconds, shattering the previous track record for the distance of 53.4 seconds. The crowd erupted in cheers as the young filly crossed the finish line.
But the magic was far from over. The third race, a non-winners-of-three event for five-year-olds and upward, was contested over the same 4 ½ furlong distance.
The field was filled with seasoned campaigners, each vying for victory. However, it was David Lee-Sin’s Four Fiver, ridden by Aaron Chatrie, who stole the show.
Four Fiver, a dark bay mare, racing at odds of 4-1, patiently bided her time behind the leaders before making a powerful burst of speed in the final furlong. The mare’s acceleration propelled her to the front, crossing the finish line in 53.0 seconds, one fifth of a second quicker than the time posted by Mighty Gully just a half-an-hour before.
This is the first time since racing started in 1959 at Caymanas Park that two track records were achieved in two consecutive races.
While 4 ½ furlongs is a rarely contested distance, it does not remove the significance of the achievement.
