KINGSTON, Jamaica - The weight allotment in the Caymanas 1993 system of claiming and condition racing has made a mockery of the current ability of at least half of the starters in each race.
The fact of the matter is that out-of-form and inferior horses concede weight to superior ones in all non-Futurity events.
This creates an average of 40%-50% odds-on favourites per race card, resulting in a consistent and costly negative impact on the economic viability of the promoting company.
Importantly, this is also a clear contravention of Jamaica Racing Commission Rule #33 stipulating the weights must be allotted based on “merit and performance” utilizing the engagement of three handicappers.
To underscore the point, in the opening 900-metre straight event, Sensational Satin, Chitu Prince (USA) and Stanislaus, between the three won 13 of their last 17 races collectively.
However, the weights appended ensured none of the other six starters, with a record of five wins in their last 60 starts, including two races dating back to 2019 and 2022, had a chance of succeeding.
Favourite at 3-5, Sensational Satin, first of two for reinsman, Phillip Parchment, scored by two lengths over Chitu Prince (USA) for trainer Steven Todd’s 24th success of the season from 178 declarations.
Much to the consternation of those, who neglected to back his mount, Parchment, a crowd favourite, secured his double success aboard 14-1 bet Burlap saddled by Richard Azan to win race eight, run over the full 1000 metres of the straight course.
In race two, run at 1300 metres, trainer Gary Crawford turned out 2-1 shot Kingwood (Bebeto Harvey) for a near six-length superiority over five rivals.
In the third, Print Quality (11-!), saddled by Anthony Dixon won the 1400-metre event. This was career success number 200 for jockey Javaneil Patterson for the first of a riding double which he closed in 1200-metre race eight aboard 16/1 backed Kai On The Go from the barn of Gary Subratie.
Undefeated three-time winner, American-bred progressive juvenile Digital One, was the first of two wins for the most successful current trainer/jockey combination of Jason DaCosta/Reyan Lewis.
Digital One (USA) delivered an eight-length romp over five local-bred rivals, three of which were previous winners. It was 4/1 against Luksol (USA) in the featured Gerry Skelton Memorial Trophy over 1100 metres run as race ten. The fleetfooted filly led from start to finish to be over eight lengths clear for the DaCosta/Lewis partnership to revisit the winners’ enclosure.
Race five, Division 01 of a maiden event, contested over 1100 metres, yielded yet another clear winner with the Howard Jaghai conditioned maiden Lady Ramdularie, ridden by Tevin Foster, scoring by just under eight lengths at odds of 3-5.
Race six, Division II, was won in the final stride by the wide and fast-closing Dream Worrier (7-1), trained by Byron Davis and ridden by Odeen Edwards.
With horse number seven, Bad Investment, displayed as the unofficial winner, Edwards was adamant his mount number ten Dream Worrier had arrived in time and did not dismount as he waited for the adjustment. In my conversation with the judge, he indicated that this was an error of the CCTV Sportsmax crew as no such unofficial placing was issued.
In fact, he was engaged in studying photo-finish images to determine the order of the placings which included a dead heat for second place.
The unofficial error was compounded by the length of time elapsing before the embarrassment of jockey Robert Halledeen and the connections of Bad Investment came to an end.
In fact, Halledeen was unlucky as well, in that the saddle of Bad Investment slipped when it mattered. No such drama materialized in the 1100-metre race seven for Halledeen. His mount, Unruly Dude (6-5), owned and trained by Oral Hayden, led early and sprinted home over three lengths better than the nearest rival.
