Featured on the programme of 11 races was the 104th staging of the eight-furlong Wayne DaCosta Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, run for the first time and staged as the 11th and final on the day. This is to memorialise and honour the exploits of the late, 18-time champion trainer in a fitting tribute to one of the world’s greatest ever conditioners of thoroughbreds, who won 2,290 Caymanas races in a four-decade career.

This renewal of the first-season Futurity had 12 declarations, with eight previous winners of one race each and the remaining four entries maidens. This, of course, is a measure of the continuing lack of adequate investment in the breeding industry, presenting an existential threat to the future of the sport of horse racing in the pan-American region from Canada in the north down to Chile, the farthest south, and all jurisdictions in between, with Jamaica’s and Trinidad and Tobago’s vulnerability becoming more concerning with each passing year.

Intent on making all the running 4-5 favourite Salute The Don, whose rider, the 2022 champion Dane Dawkins, was obviously instructed to test the speed and stamina of all rivals, was driven to lead immediately. It would seem former six-time titlist Omar Walker had a similar tactical approach with 6-1 bet We Jammin and was in a dispute for the early advantage.

Even as early as six furlongs to come, with Salute The Don against the rails and We Jammin challenging between horses, it became clear pretty quickly that these two would be the principals even before another 200 yards were completed. Both were clear in the upper stretch, and the class of We Jammin, conditioned by Peter-John Parsard, was six lengths the best, with Salute The Don nearly four lengths clear of third-placed Fernando.

Favourite at 6-5, Burning Valor, ridden by Tevin Foster for the first leg of his double, the Norman Smith-conditioned five-year-old progeny of Silent Valor won the six-furlong opening event gallop by a length and a half. Race two over five furlongs round, run 33 minutes later, went to Wearyourhonor (5-2) with the talented 2019 champion rider Christopher Mamdeen delivering a near two-length victory for the stable of owner/trainer Colin Ferguson.

Bet at 3-5, veteran conditioner Richard Azan’s four-year-old filly Ms Cherry was always in control of the six-furlong third event to close Foster’s riding double with a near three-length margin of victory. Dane Dawkins, the 2022 champion, had an easy task guiding Gary Subratie’s maiden three-year-old filly You’re My Sweetie (1-1)to score in the six-furlong fourth race for the opening leg of a stable double for this productive jockey/trainer collaboration.

From 11 starts this season, eight-year-old chestnut gelding Generational (12/1), piloted by the very competent and experienced rider Javaniel Patterson, trainer Dale Murphy got the benefit of that skill set to visit the winner’s enclosure as his charge got home by a head over the five-furlong straight fifth event.

Ballistic Missile (9-5), with veteran reinsman Paul Francis engaged, was a five-length winner of the five-furlong straight gallop of race six for trainer Joseph Thomas’ ninth success from his stables 55 starts this season. Whilst claimer Shavon Townsend rode the first of two wins on the day aboard trainer Edward Stanberry’s Pretty Brown Ting(6-5), who outstayed the nearest of six rivals to win the eight-furlong race seven by four and a half lengths.

To close his two-timer, Townsend, utilising skills not seen before a stint he had overseas, drove 36-1 shot Big Buzz to a one-length advantage at the end of the six-furlong eighth event to please conditioner Ray Phillips. Meanwhile, deemed as the Boxing Day Sprint, Money Market(4-5) won race nine, run at six and a half furlongs by just over one length, to confirm the double success of the Subratie/Dawkins partnership. Whilst in the penultimate tenth event, it was 43/1 against one-length winner Blood Moon, but Richie Shakes carved out a victory for trainer Rudolph Hardial.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Peter-John Parsard for the successful belated debut of
We Jammin on December 13 and winning the Wayne Dacosta Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes convincingly two weeks later with a near-flawless performance in delivering the Best Winning Gallop. Shavon Townsend takes the Jockeyship Award for the success of his two winning mounts against very competitive opposition.

Javaniel Patterson after his win aboard Generational. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)