KINGSTON, Jamaica - Triple Crown champion of 2019, Supreme Soul, left the island for the United States on Monday (November 11) from the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA), just two days after finishing fifth in the fifth running of the Diamond Mile, as part of his preparation to run in the Caribbean Classic.
The Caribbean Classic takes place on Sunday, December 8 at Florida’s Gulfstream Park.
The Anthony Nunes trainee will be kept in quarantine in Florida for seven days and will be attended to during his time in quarantine by personnel based in Florida.
The groom of Supreme Soul, Adrian Taylor, who accompanied his horse to NMIA, did not travel with the chestnut colt on Monday but is expected to be present when the official period of quarantine ends after which he will be responsible for the day-to-day care of his charge at Gulfstream Park.
Supreme Soul left his stable at Caymanas Park and was trailed to the NMIA in Kingston under the supervision of Dr Sophia Ramlal, senior veterinarian at the regulatory body for racing in Jamaica, the Jamaica Racing Commission. The team, along with Supreme Soul, were met at the airport by Government veterinarian Dr Trudi Stewart-Gaynor. The veterinarians monitored the smooth send-off of Supreme Soul from the NMIA.
Nunes is reporting that Supreme Soul has settled well in the US Government operated facility.
“All the reports, I have received thus far, indicate that Supreme Soul travelled without any problems and has settled nicely in his new environment.
”He (Supreme Soul) is expected to be released from quarantine next week Tuesday (November 19), after which he will be stabled at Gulfstream Park. The groom and I will be in Florida by the Tuesday and hopefully, Supreme Soul will be on the track at Gulfstream on Wednesday (November 20),“ Nunes shared with this publication.
Jamaica will also be represented in the Classic by the Lakeland Farm Limited-bred Juice Man who recently won the Trinidad Derby. This publication understands that Juice Man is already in quarantine in Florida, having travelled there on November 5.
The last occasion a Jamaican horse participated in the Caribbean Classic was in 2008. Then, the country was represented by another Triple Crown winner, the filly Alsafra trained by Fitznahum “Features” Williams. That 2008 Caribbean Classic took place in Puerto Rico at the Hippodromo Camerero racetrack. Alsafra was unplaced in the race.
