THIS is a week after the fourth staging of the Mouttet Mile and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association of Jamaica’s annual mixed sale. This is also a reminder of how the lack of adequate investment in the breeding industry in Jamaica, in particular, and in Pan America generally, has become an existential threat to the continuation of horse racing as a commercial activity this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

From a peak of between 300 and 350 yearlings on show exclusively two decades ago, with over 800 brood mares mostly on 25 farms, the December 7, 2025 mixed sale saw fewer than 60 of the over 150 foals of 2025 coming under the hammer of the auctioneer, with the remainder up for sale by private treaty.

Meanwhile the 2026 racing calendar, approved by the Jamaica Racing Commission, has 79 race meetings. This is five below the 2022 schedule which had 855 races on 84 programmes. However, in 2024 the 84-race calendar staged 755 races — a 100-race decline with an average of less than 10 races and a field size of fewer than 10 starters per meeting.

Today’s opener of nine was another farcical $200,000 claiming event which ended in a near-11-length romp for 3-5 favourite Sudden Flight (Javaniel Patterson), saddled by Edward Walker, for the four-and-a-half-furlong dash. The overmatching of horses in the failed claiming continues to be a money-losing exercise for the promoting company, with no discussion in train to bring it to an end. Incidentally, eight of the nine races had odds-on favourites, discouraging wagering.

Race two over seven furlongs was won by 3-1 bet promising debutant We Jamming (Omar Walker), schooled by Peter-John Parsard for the first of his stable double on the day. The juvenile, in the lead from four furlongs out, rallied gamely when headed inside the final stages of the race and scored by a neck. Forty minutes later, Parsard returned to the winners’ enclosure as Turnonthelight (3-5), ridden by champion Raddesh Roman, was over nine lengths the best over the five and a half furlongs of race three.

On his way to three on the day, Roman added another with a juvenile debutant. Phenomenal Power (1-5), a well-grown, US-bred colt from the Anthony Nunes high-powered stable, scored by 17 lengths over five and a half furlongs of race four to open double success on the card for the second-generation conditioner. In race five Nunes secured his two-timer, with former three-time champion Dane Nelson guiding three-year-old maiden colt Nebuchadnezzar (1-5) to a two-length advantage at the end of the five-furlong straight gallop to open a riding double.

With five race days of this season remaining Roman, also the 2025 designated champion jockey with 126 wins, confirmed his triple when race six, run at five and a half furlongs, went to Ian Parsard’s Dreamer’s Corner (3-5) by a margin of just over two lengths. Meanwhile in race seven, under a good ride from leading claimer Demar Williams, Phillip Lee’s Abreathoffreshair (4-5) had a neck to spare over its nearest rival when the five-furlong sprint on the round course came to an end.

Danka (9-5), declared by Richard Azan and partnered by claimer Tajay Suckoo, secured the major portion of the purse money of race eight. The Aveenu Malcainu-bred filly, clear a furlong out, had enough momentum to last home by a neck at the end of the five-and-a-half furlong sprint. The featured six-furlong Ahwhofah Sprint, run as race nine, went to Atlantic Convoy (CAN), saddled by Patrick Lynch, to confirm Dane Nelson’s riding double by a win margin of a neck.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Peter-John Parsard for posting three-year-old We Jammin whose preparation required patience to be in winning condition for this very belated debut, and who performed with a good enough display of speed, courage, and stamina for the Best Winning Gallop. Former six-time champion Omar Walker, whose experience was invaluable for securing victory aboard We Jammin takes the Jockeyship Award.

Raddesh Roman winning aboard Turnonthelight. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Abreathoffreshair (#5-Demar Williams) gets the better of Bobbytwobad (Tevin Foster). (Photo: Garfield Robinson)