With all of the excitement surrounding the third staging of the ultra-rich Mouttet Mile (invitational), Dennis Smith, part owner of last year’s winner Rough Entry , says not only will his charge be ready to defend his crown this year, but he is also looking into other options for bringing other horses to the race.

The Mouttet Mile Invitational, the Caribbean’s most anticipated racing day, is a Grade One event for three-year-olds and older going one mile (1,600 meters). In successive years, race day has established the record for the biggest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean. The 2024 purse, announced immediately following the 2023 staging, has been set at a historic US$250,000, making it the richest ever. This year’s event is set for December 7.

Three changes have been made by the promoting company, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, to the conditions applicable to the 2024 staging of the Mouttet Mile.

Two of the changes stated that 10 starting stalls will be made available for horses domiciled in Jamaica before January 1, 2024, and six starting stalls will be allocated to horses not domiciled in Jamaica before January 1, 2024.

Note that in the 2023 Mouttet Mile, 12 stalls were designated for horses domiciled in Jamaica before January 1, 2023 and four for horses not domiciled in Jamaica before January 1, 2023.

With that in mind, Smith said that he will be taking advantage of the changes in conditions to have the possibility of more runners for the event.

“Well, obviously, Rough Entry is here, and he will be defending his crown. And, of course, we are looking at the advantage of bringing in other horses as well for the race,” Smith told the
Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“We are fully committed and invested in the local racing industry. The Mouttet Mile is very good, and it is a great opportunity for the kind of exposure the racing industry needs. And it is certainly going to be better and better,” he added.

Rough Entry, trained by Rohan Crichton, who is also a part owner along with Smith and Daniel Walters, in a performance that demonstrated class, talent, and superiority, won the second staging of the US$150,000 Mouttet Mile (invitational) on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at Caymanas Park.

The American-bred Rough Entry (Poseidon’s Warrior — Dixie Ocean), who was ridden by visiting jockey Julien Leparoux, sat behind the pace for the majority of the contest before surging to the front in a deep stretch to win by 7 lengths. Rough Entry won in a time of 1:38.0 (23.0 x 45.0 x 1:10.0).

“It is a difficult feeling to explain. All the excitement, all the nervousness before the race, and the anticipation — it was just a great feeling. To own a horse like that and see him win so comfortably was just great. It is a very difficult feeling to explain, but I can tell you we were on cloud nine for quite a while now, and we hope to repeat that,” Smith said.