Jamaica’s horse racing is mourning the loss of one of its most cherished sons, Don Wehby Jr, a man whose soul galloped alongside every stride his horses took. At age 62, Don's earthly journey has come to an end (Saturday, July 26), but the echo of his impact will linger for a long time.
Don Jr inherited more than a legacy from his father, Don Wehby Snr. He inherited a relentless passion for the sport that would not only shape his destiny but redefine the landscape of racing in Jamaica. With quiet intensity and boundless love, he developed along with his dad, Oakridge Farms. And, as fate would have it, yesterday (Saturday, July 26), the Don Wehby Snr Memorial Cup was contested at Caymanas Park in two sections.
At the heart of Don’s racing journey was Atomica. No thoroughbred captured his heart or imagination quite like her. When she crossed the finish line to win the Jamaica Derby, only Don knew the true magnitude of that moment. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream, the promise from father to son.
In the winner’s circle, he stood with pride, and with humility. In defeat, he comforted, reflected, and learned. For Don, the sport was never about prestige, it was about purpose.
To say goodbye is difficult. To forget? Impossible.
Don, you were more than a man of horse racing. You were an integral part of its existence.
The team from Quickgallopja.com and its YouTube Channel – The Quick Galloper, offer its deepest sympathies to Don Wehby’s wife Hilary and his three children, Nicholas, a trainer of horses, Stephanie and Abigail.
2 Responses
in days of old when men were bold and racing was just invented, we called on people like don wehby to race and breed ,so that punters can be contented
REST IN PEACE
Staged as the fourth of ten races, the renewal of the She’s A Maneater Trophy, an Open Allowance contest to honour one of the greatest thoroughbreds of all time, winner of 25 races from 31 starts, attracted a field of six for the eight-furlong exertion.
The handicaps were headed by 2024 Horse-of-the-Year and Mouttet Mile winner Funcaandun (USA) at 126lbs, five pounds more than the outstanding six-year-old mare Gary Subratie declared Desert of Malibu (USA), partnered by champion and 2025 runaway leader Raddesh Roman and nine to Eros Trophy winner Tiz Tok (USA), with the services of former champion jockey Wesley Henry secured.
Champion and leading conditioner Jason DaCosta, for the first of three wins, saddled four starters, including the Robert Halledeen ridden Funcaandun (USA), with 2024 Two Thousand Guineas hero California Crown, deployed in a pace-making role, Is That A Fact (USA) and Mamma Mia making up the numbers.
Allowing the pacemaker to set the backstretch fractions, Desert of Malibu (USA) assumed the lead over three furlongs out with Roman motionless.
A hard-driven Funcaandun (USA) responded to chase the now dominant Desert of Malibu (USA), but with a significant deficit of better than three lengths in arrears. Desert of Malibu (USA) stayed on well entering the final furlong but was denied by a shorthead in the final stride. Champion Funcaandun (USA) at odds of 8-5, proved marginally the better at the weights.
Halledeen, in tandem with DaCosta for the trainer’s second, enjoyed a particular piece of good fortune in race eight. First by the post by over four lengths, Supremasi was relegated to fourth for intimidating and causing interference to a rival, with the race awarded to Prince Amaan (5-2). Carlton Watson, the 2024 champion, is the owner of both Funcaandun (USA) and Prince Amaan.
All told, Halledeen had a triple on the day with 4-5 bet Xylophonic Steel winning the five-furlong straight race three for trainer Khary Tucker.
DaCosta’s triple success was confirmed in race nine with 7-2 bet Teflon Don (Reyan Lewis) owned by the trainer’s mother, Elizabeth DaCosta, making all to score by nearly three lengths. Both races over six furlongs were staged in memory of Don Wehby Snr. In an extraordinary coincidence, his son Don Jnr, former chief executive of Grace Kennedy Ltd, a government senator and owner of the all-time great thoroughbred Atomica, passed away on this very evening.
The three-and-a-half furlong opening dash went to the three-parts-of-a-length winner, Silver Fox (7-2), with Shane Ellis executing the riding honours for owner/trainer Oral Hayden.
Wesley Henry was aboard Basilicus (5-2) and scored by over three lengths from in front over the five-furlong straight course of race two for trainer Alford Brown.
Roman had his sole winner aboard Radam (9-5) in race six for trainer Anthony Nunes, the event was run at five and a half furlongs.
Race six went to trainer Dennis Lee’s Whisky (6-1) with claimer Demar Williams guiding the six-year-old progeny of Savoy Stomp to a four-length winning advantage.
May he Rest In Peace