Breeder, owner and trainer Carl Anderson believes that the lucrative purse for the Diamond Mile should be cut and a portion be distributed equally among the remaining races on the day.

“The Diamond Mile, as I see it, being one special race for Graded Stakes and imported foreign horses should be opened that day where, like in the States [USA] where they have the Breeders Cup, where all the other races have added purses,” Anderson told The Supreme Racing Guide.

He added: “I am not in favour of one race with such a lucrative purse. I think the distribution should be at least equally distributed — not really only one race for one set of horses which are the Graded Stakes horses but maybe other horses that can benefit, as you can then cut the Diamond Mile purse by a percentage then equally distribute that portion amongst the other races.

“Now I think that most of the trainers would be in agreement with this.

Because you will have a reason to participate on that day as all owners and trainers will be looking forward to a huge purse because you know that we are having difficulty with the purse structure right now — seeing that most of the horses are now earning the minimal amount.

“If on that particular day, we do not want to see only a She’s A Maneater, a Stranger Danger and the other top horses taking away the bulk of the current purse, but the other trainers can also benefit from a part of that purse.

“This is no knock on the sponsors, but I think that myself and other trainers who have looked at the particular Diamond Mile Race on the day are also in agreement that had they distributed this equally with a purse reduction, they would have had something more of a super day,” Anderson said.

The Diamond Mile carries a purse of US$115,000 which is over $14 million. The remaining races on the day will have purses of $1 million and over, which makes the race day the richest in the English-speaking Caribbean.

While some trainers may not want a purse reduction in the Diamond Mile, Anderson said that alternative routes can also be looked at.

“Yes” But sponsors are hard to come by,” Anderson pointed out. “We will now try to invite sponsors to support the rest of the races for the day, but this would not be such an easy task. The fact is that you have money that you have already collected each year to put in.

“Why would you now worry about additional sponsors when all you have to do is to proportionally share the purse among other races and then you can attract other sponsors. And then, probably over the years, you can increase the purse back to the Diamond Mile by getting other sponsors on board. For me, I think this is a workable.

“I do not think D&G is on board anymore and they were one of our major sponsors, but if you use the purse that you have cut a percentage off it to distribute it proportionately among the other races, then you could still now seek other sponsors to come on board and to give them all the perks — and then it can be taken back to where it now stands. As once you get a sponsor for a particular race then you can move that purse back to the Diamond Mile, and so forth.”

When asked if such a move could provide trainers with the necessary funding to now adequately prepare their horses to make the day a really super day of racing, Anderson said:

“Yes! Derby Day is generally the best race day of the year but on Diamond Mile Day most of the punters and spectators look forward to that particular day because they are just overwhelmed when they hear about $14-million and will see the best horses at the park competing.

“Also competing on that momentous day will be some of those horses who ran in the Derby and even the future two-year-old juveniles will be in action on that day. So, why not now share back some of the purses with these horses and boost the day? I cannot say what the take is on the day but it’s much more than Derby Day if structured properly,” Anderson concluded.