KINGSTON, Jamaica - Ricardo Mathie, son of long-standing Rowan Mathie, saddled his first winner as a licensed trainer on Saturday, June 10, 2023, when his charge Jaguar won the day’s fifth event.
Jaguar, ridden by champion jockey Dane Dawkins, made one move to win a native-bred four-year-old and upwards (non-winners of three) and imported four-year-olds and upwards (non-winners of two) coming down the five-straight chute.
“Right now, I’m feeling overwhelmed. I don’t know how to express how I feel, but I am overjoyed to have won my first race as a licensed trainer. The feeling is incredible, and the experience is incredible,” an exuberant Mathie said.
Jaguar matched strides with Xceptional Babz (Anthony Thomas), Power of Faith (Javaniel Patterson), and Talona (Youville Pinnock) in the early part of the race. Coming across the dummy rails onto the main track for competition, Jaguar began to accelerate and powered home to score by 7 ¼ lengths in a time of 1:00.0 (23.4 x 46.1).
“I’ve been involved in the sport for a long time because my father used to take me to the racetrack when I was a kid, and the rest is history. With each visit, I grew to love the sport, and so here I am,” Mathie explained.
“I am excited to get started because there is a lot more to come. This is just the beginning of a successful career,” he added.
