Howard Bogues, a Jamaican born, who trains in the United States, has expressed satisfaction with his recent racing victory in Jamaica and is considering a permanent move to the island for his training career.
Bogues celebrated his first Jamaican win at Caymanas Park on January 27, 2024, with five-year-old chestnut horse King Air, hinting at a potential shift to training in Jamaica full-time.
King Air secured a win in the category for five-year-olds and upward (non-winners of two) and imported five-year-olds and upward (maidens) over a distance of 6 furlongs.
Bogues shared, "Training at Tampa Bay Downs in the States has been my focus, but winning at Caymanas Park, where my roots in racing began, is incomparable. Racing is in my blood; my father, Jackie Bogues, was both an owner and trainer. The passion developed from time spent at Ms Eileen Cliggott's barn. I'm transitioning to training here, not immediately, but it's in the works. With a new owner joining me, I'll be managing more horses. King Air's win is just the start."
He continued, "Our plan is to claim more horses, aiming for a stable of at least five by year's end, and then we'll see how it unfolds. But I'm set on returning to train in Jamaica, especially with the advancements I've witnessed in local racing. As I get older, Caymanas Park seems like the ideal place to spend my remaining years."
King Air, owned by The Businessman and ridden by Shavon Townsend, finished ahead of Special Gift (Matthew Bennett) and Dancing With A Cat (Tevin Foster), clocking in at 1:17.3.
Bogues noted, "We'll assess King Air's condition post-race to determine his next steps. He's shown significant progress, which is why we expected a strong performance today. We tweaked his training and paired him with the right jockey, Shavon Townsend, who was highly recommended and delivered a stellar race."
He concluded, "We're setting our sights on the big races. With the backing of an investing owner, we're hopeful to build a roster of quality horses."
