The expected return of live races at Caymanas Park on Saturday, November 15 is welcome news as the industry has seemingly escaped the full brunt of the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Significant damage to the infrastructure of two major stud farms and the stable area is a challenge, but the resumption of the commercial operation this quickly will assist in no small measure as the repair and rebuilding process gets underway.

Three major interruptions to the promotion of horse racing took place over the last 50 years. On August 8, 1973, strong gusts of southerly winds literally raised the cantilever roof of the 1959 constructed grandstand. It required over four months to shore up the roof, and that was achieved utilising large poles similar to the ones deployed by light and power company Jamaica Public Service (JPS). Racing resumed on December 26, 1973, to the delight of the lovers of the sport.

The makeshift light poles’ support did not suggest permanence, and in 1974, following a scare, again from strong winds, these were replaced by steel columns. This job lasted six weeks, and live races came back early in the summer. On September 12, 1988, Hurricane Gilbert was the second major hurdle, and coincidentally, following the race meet of September 10, the resumption was on December 26.

An existential threat to the horse population, in the form of a breakout of Equine Influenza(EI), was confirmed by the Jamaica Racing Commission(JRC) Veterinary Department late in December 1989. The symptoms of this malaise included high fever, coughing, a nasal discharge, lethargy, lack of appetite, and weakness. Transmission of this contagious A virus, EI, is by way of respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated equipment.

Through the work of legendary veterinarians Clifford Bradford and Clifford Grey, the former being recognised internationally for his work with cattle as well and the latter hailed as one of the most knowledgeable, along with the expertise of other private practitioners, the horse population was cured and able to race early in April 1990 through rest, nutrition, and vaccination.

Taking forward the legacy of these two all-time greats, the likes of St Aubyn Bartlett, Aston Marsh, and Sophia Ramlal have been at the forefront of the practice of equine veterinary medicine, and the horse population has benefited from their exceptional knowledge, skills, and experience. At this time, protecting the integrity of the sport is in a more challenging, dynamic environment, fraught with corruption and the ever-present possibility of disease outbreaks.

Between 1974 and 1989, when the potentially catastrophic events occurred, horse racing was flourishing with an average growth of 10 per cent annually, moving from 28 race meetings in 1960 to 84 in 1992, with the classification of the horse population for handicapping.

The growth of the industry was stymied in 1993 by the introduction of the flawed American claiming system so that, intentionally or as an unintended consequential outcome, racing would effectively be condemned to be run in the interest of a minority. This, against the advice of the British Horse Racing Authority/Jockey Club, which speaks to the certainty of failure in delivering a racing product in any other format than a handicap system.

The United States (US) Jockey Club, as of October 24, 2025, and it may be too late, has released the classification of the horse population there. The intention of the US Jockey Club was announced in this column in September 2024, as the stud farms only delivered 16,675 foals in 2024 from a high of 40,333 in 1992. Consequently, there were 70,393 races in 1992 and a low 30,852 in 2024. Jamaica’s 863 races in 1992 with 1,021 horses have been reduced to 755 in 2024, with field size averaging less than 10 runners per race, with the available population now well under 800 and now includes a huge number of five-year-old horses.

This writer has been appealing through this medium, and for the last 33 years, by sharing the relevant data for the stakeholders to develop an understanding of why a claiming system cannot grow the market to deliver adequate purse money. The Americans are now wiser. What about us?

Simply put, half the races each race day literally gives away the promoting company’s as well as the stakeholders’ resources through the programming of underperforming sales units. All the surviving architects and supporters of the claiming system now have a responsibility and are welcome to support any effort to return to the classification of the horse population for the industry to have an economically viable racing product.