KINGSTON, Jamaica – After his surprising 17-1 upset victory in the prestigious Jamaica Derby on August 7, the Patrick Lynch-trained horse, Ability, has climbed to the top of the earnings list for 2023.
From his five starts in 2023, which included three victories, one third-place finish, and a fourth-placing, Ability has earned $5,729,250 for his connections.
The Derby winner is currently ahead of his closest competitor, the filly Mamma Mia, by $234,000. Mamma Mia, winner of both the 1000 Guineas as well as the Jamaica Oaks, has raced six times this year, claiming three wins along with one second-place finish and a third.
In third place is Mamma Mia's stablemate and St Leger heroine Thalita. Thalita, like Mamma Mia, is trained by Jason DaCosta. With five races under her belt this year and two victories alongside two second-place finishes, Thalita is trailing top-earner Ability by $457,750.
The top three horses on the list have all earned over $5 million. All five leading positions on the earnings list are held by three-year-old horses. The first non-three-year-old to break their dominance is foreigner I Am Fred in sixth place.
In total on the list of top ten earners in 2023, there are three imported horses: I Am Fred, Runaway Algo, and Inspire Force. Among them are six three-year-olds. Leading trainer Jason DaCosta has four horses - Thalita, Mamma Mia, I Am Fred, and She's My Destiny - featured on this prestigious list.
Here is the top ten list of earners in 2023 as of August 12.
| Leading Horses | |||||||||||
| 52 Racedays - 495 Races Up to 12/08/2023 inclusive | |||||||||||
| Horses | Age | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Unpl | Starts | Win% | Top3% | Stakes | |
| 1 | ABILITY | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 60% | 80% | $5,729,250 |
| 2 | MAMMA MIA | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 50% | 83% | $5,494,350 |
| 3 | THALITA | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 40% | 80% | $5,271,500 |
| 4 | MOJITO | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 60% | 60% | $4,978,500 |
| 5 | MONEY MISER | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20% | 100% | $3,563,200 |
| 6 | I AM FRED | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 80% | 100% | $3,479,800 |
| 7 | RUNAWAY ALGO | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 67% | 83% | $3,280,000 |
| 8 | SHE'S MY DESTINY | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 43% | 86% | $3,161,350 |
| 9 | INSPIRE FORCE | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 30% | 80% | $2,530,225 |
| 10 | PERFECT BREW | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 25% | 75% | $2,495,400 |
