For sundry reasons, the opening event of nine on the card had four late non-starters, chief of which is leg injuries to the aging campaigners at the $350K-200K level. This, as the horse population is currently divided into 19 complicated categories, instead of the simple seven levels of ability for classification delivered by the breed globally for over 150 years.

A failure by misinformed and ill-equipped operatives engaged by promoters to understand this reality has led to the underdevelopment and unviability of the promotion of horse racing in the Pan American jurisdictions. This is the region where the racing product is delivered in a claiming system, resulting in a devastating negative impact on the region’s breeding industry and growth in the customer base. However, the US Jockey Club has got wise enough to institute a change.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the globe, the sport is holding its own in the expansive and lucrative international gaming market, including Europe, Africa, down under in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Asia, including the Middle and Far East,with jurisdictions such as India, Pakistan, The Emirates, South Korea, and Japan, all enjoying viable racing industries.

What is the common thread? The racing product is marketed in the traditional 180-year-old handicap system.

Back now to the opening event, which was won by Barrington Bernard’s Newland Links(5-2) with claimer Richie Shakes executing the riding skills confidently to score by just one length in the four-furlong dash.

In race two, over the same distance, speedy juvenile Uncle Nally (3-5), schooled by Robert Pearson and guided by Tevin Foster, sprinted in over three lengths clear. Christopher Mamdeen, the 2019 champion, kept his mount Yorkist (2/1), declared by Colin Ferguson in front throughout the five-furlong trip on the round course to score in race three by nearly two lengths.

As one champion followed another, the 2022 titlist, Dane Dawkins, for the first of a triple, was aboard the 1-2 bet Justin Bigtime, trained by Gary Subratie, for the first of his two stable successes on the day. The six-furlong fourth event was a 17-length runaway for Justin Biden. It has to be said that it is one thing to have a few races with this outcome, but offering hundreds of similar odds-on favourities and results annually has been counterproductive on many levels.

Race five had the two main protagonists, who were only separated by the photo finish technology. Determining the winning distance was the smallest descriptive margin of a nose. At the end of the five-furlong straight charge, veteran owner/trainer Louis Richards’ Gallop De Velez (2-1), ridden by Dawkins for his second of three, got the literal nod over Ms Cherry (8-5) with Tevin Foster astride.

Former four-time champion Dane Nelson, taking his annual break from his Canadian obligations, equalled his double riding feat of 24 hours earlier. Even money favourite Lion Of Ekati (USA) got the benefit of the skill of Nelson, running with backmarkers early in the six-and-a-half furlong trip but won in the final stride for trainer Norman Smith.

Race seven over five furlongs round, restricted to three-year-old maiden fillies, was decided from in front by second-time starter Dark Swan (2-1). The medium-sized progeny of Midnight Hawk was always clear to score by nearly three lengths with claimer Emelio McLean at the reins for second-generation trainer Gresford Smith.

Dawkins closed his riding triple in runaway style aboard Margarita (2-1), coming home nine lengths clear at the end of the eighth event over five furlongs round to confirm Gary Subratie’s stable double. Whilst Dane Nelson took his second aboard Another One (7-5), trained by Anthony Nunes, in a race where his chief rival Commander Z (USA) failed by a nose to share the top two portions of the purse equally in a dead heat.

The Training Feat Award goes to Gresford Smith for the performance of Dark Swan, who only made her début on November 29. The Best Winning Gallop accolade is shared by Galopin DeVeloz and
Another One, with both displaying speed, courage, and stamina. These two horses had the benefit equally of the skill set of Dawkins and Nelson, respectively, with these riders sharing the Jockeyship Award.

Christopher Mamdeen winning aboard Yorkist. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)