The following is an extract from the SVREL Projection Condition Book to determine eligibility for nomination in a typical claiming race with the relevant dates indicatedhere:-

“SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2025 – SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2025 – 27TH DAY – SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2025 Entries close Tue., April 29, 2025 Scratch Time Wed.,April 30, 2025 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. FIRST RACE CLAIMING CONDITION 3 ½ FURLONGS (S) *(NO WAIVER CLAIMING APPLICABLE)* PURSE: $600,000 A) -FOR FIVE-YEAR-OLD AND UPWARDS WHO HAVE STARTED IN THE CLAIMING CATEGORY ($180,000 OR LESS) AND/OR CLAIMING CATEGORY ($200,000 ONLY) LIFETIME. -FOR FIVE YEAR-OLDS AND UPWARD HORSES WHO HAVE STARTED IN THE CLAIMING CATEGORY ($350,000 OR LESS) TWO TIMES OR MORE SINCE SEPTEMBER 3, 2024, AND HAVE NOT EARNED SINCE NOVEMBER 3, 2024 ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE(4th;5th AND 6TH PLACED EARNINGS AND EARNINGS IN A NOT EARNED AND/OR NOT FINISHED $250,000 AND/OR $350,000 CLAIMING CONDITION RACES NOT CONSIDERED). B)FOR NATIVE-BRED SIX-YEAR-OLD AND UPWARD NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES LIFETIME ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE WITH OR WITHOUT A CLAIM PRICE. (NON-WINNERS OF THREE RACES LIFETIME WHO RAN IN THE CLAIMING CATEGORY ($180,0-$150,0)IN 2024 WITHOUT A CLAIM PRICE ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE WITHOUT A CLAIM PRICE AND WILL BE ALLOTTED THE BASIC WEIGHT). WEIGHT: 126 lbs MARES……121 lbs A) WEIGHT WILL BE ALLOTTED AS FOLLOWS FOR HORSES ENTERING WITH A CLAIMING PRICE (HORSES WHO HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $200,0 OR LESS AND SUBSEQUENTLY START IN A RACE OTHER THAN A RACE WITH A CLAIMING PRICE OF $247,500 OR LESS AND FINISHED 1ST TO 3RD TO CARRY THE BASIC WEIGHT IN THEIR FIRST START). Horses who have won a race since January 3, 2025 and horses who are starting in the claiming category ($200,000 ONLY) for the first time to carry the basic weight. Horses who have finished 2nd since January 3, 2025 allowed….4.0 lbs Horses who have finished 3rd and/or 4th since January 3, 2025 6.0 lbs Horses who have NOT earned any money since January 3, 2025 allowed……8.0 lbs CLAIMING PRICE: $200,000 ONLY (5th AND 6TH PLACED EARNINGS NOT CONSIDERED) (NOT EARNED RACES WHERE ENTERED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $197,500 OR LESS NOT CONSIDERED). B) WEIGHT WILL BE ALLOTTED AS FOLLOWS FOR HORSES ELIGIBLE WITHOUT A CLAIM PRICE: i. NATIVE-BRED 6-Y-O & UP Horses who have won one race lifetime to carry the basic weight. ii. NATIVE-BRED 6-Y-O & UP Maidens and Untrieds allowed6.0 lbs *Horse(s) who are eligible to run in this race without a claiming tag and not finished 2ND and/or 3RD in the 3RD in the claiming category ($200,000 only)will be entitled to the following additional allowances: – (i) Horse(s) which have raced two times and not finished 2nd and/or 3rd allowed 2.0 LBSS. or (ii) Horse(s) which have raced three or more times and not finished 2nd and/or 3rd allowed 4.0.. Once a horse who is entitled to run in this race without a claiming tag finishes 2ND and/or 3RD in any race the above process will start all over again.”

These bizarre, extremely confusing stipulations and weight allotments copied from the American money-losing format made no sense when applied to the local circumstances. For those who will have difficulty in understanding this, mostly what needs to be appreciated is that it is exclusionary and renders a significant number of horses with this level of ability capable but unable to take this opportunity to race, among other serious flaws in the system.

The above was one of the bases on which this writer, who in 1993 was already familiar with this American model,was therefore,was able to predict publicly the 100% certainty of the unviableJamaican claiming system to fail,especially with the horse population splintered into 25 categoriesof a largely incomprehensibleformat.

Most importantly, there should be no weight allotments prior to the nominations to ensure that inferior horses do not concede handicap advantage to superior horses,creating the huge number of odds-on favourities which reached a record in 2024 with 755 races having 389 with 90% of the races impacted negatively. This has been the established pattern since January 23, 1993.

Despite the available data, confirming the spectacular 300% cumulative growth of the industry under the handicap system in its 32-year existence, what was most mystifying in 1993 was that the regulators, promoters, owners, and trainers accepted two false premises.

Firstly, the handicap system racing product lacked integrity, and secondly, the trading of racehorses is a viable economic activity. This was as promulgated by the misguided architects of the imposition of the unviable USA claiming system. Further, the horse population was divided into 25 categories(up from seven classes), condemning the racing product to operate with smaller field sizes.

Obviously, a system of classification, which the US Jockey Club now recognises as superior to the ruinous claiming system aberration, has taken the necessary steps to move to a handicap system effective October 24, 2025. The headlinewas…“At Jockey Club Round Table: It’s Time To Ditch The Claiming System”. Classification was available to the previous promoters from 2013, published in this medium since 2014, and offered to the incumbent in 2017 and again in 2023.