Against the backdrop of the ravages of Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025, the local racing industry has demonstrated resilience rooted in the love of the sport among the current cohort of owners and backed by the tireless support of trainers and the occupational groups.

Many of the promoters’ and bookmakers’ points of sale lost electricity supply through infrastructural damage as well as the public power supply, as the October storm’s record intensity threatened the energy security of the entire island. Three important breeding establishments suffered similar challenges, but fortunately, damage to the thoroughbred population was minimal.

At the start of the year, with the damage of the hurricane still large in the rear view mirror, those affected had barely actualised any plan or had any financial resources for economic recovery in even the barest sense. The fraternity hoped and prayed that the industry would be spared from any such eventuality in the foreseeable future. Six months in, it is time to hope that the increasingly erratic pattern of global weather will have less of an impact on the Caribbean territories.

The 39 race meetings offered 382 races and, as far as the statistics reveal, 2026 is effectively a continuation of last season. Four-time champion and defending titlist Jason DaCosta has a lead of around $4.5 million in stakes over former three-time champion Anthony Nunes in the trainers’ ranks.

With trainer Nunes securing the assistance of his nephew Nigel Burke, a trainer who won his first race at Caymanas in 2017 and has spent the last decade between Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and the USA, with stakes earnings of over US$1.0 million, things could conceivably change in the second half of 2026, and it will be interesting to see where the big purses go.

Speaking of trainers, I must mention that since January, third-generation horseman Peter-John Parsard, currently third, has saddled 31 winners from 102 declarations, with 37 other horses in second or third. Of note also is that second-generation conditioner Adrian Prince has 13 wins from 65 starts, with another 25 finishing either second or third.

Two-time champion Raddesh Roman will commence the second half of the season with 54 winners, which is 13 more than Tevin Foster, whilst 2022 champion Dane Dawkins, on 38, stays in touch on 38. Five of the 2024 graduates of the Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School have performed with distinction. Tajay Suckoo (31), Richard Shakes (24), Jaheim Anderson (18), Demar Williams (14), and Shaheem Gordon (13), between them, have accounted for 101 winners and additionally accumulated a huge number of second and third places from their collective of 762 mounts.

The second half of this season will commence with a two-day meeting with 10 racecards each, featuring the 99th renewal of the St Leger on day two, with 13 hopefuls declared. Significantly, 2025 juvenile champion We Jammin, after his below-par showing in The Kingston and absence from the line-up of the 2000 Guineas, is back and working well enough.

Truth be told, the Parsard-schooled We Jammin did establish superiority over his known peers with his easy five-length dominance of the Prince Consort. The setback he suffered has not been explained, similar to elsewhere in the world, where veterinary reports on important horses are released routinely by regulatory bodies, and the local bettors should be in that esteemed category.

The outcome of the opening Classics, the fillies’ 1000 and colts and geldings 2000 Guineas over a mile was very instructive, with the former going to Dream Catcher and the latter won by Salute The Don, who stumbled and tried to avoid a huge puddle immediately after the gates opened.

Further, Salute The Don was hemmed in on the rails by a front-runner for two furlongs of the backstretch gallop before eventually extricating himself in the straight to win by three parts of a length. Runner-up, stablemate Stardom, had excuses as well. Forced to run wide at the top of the stretch, Stardom also had to alter course inside the last furlong. Both of these colts will stay the 10 furlongs of the St Leger and will head the betting market again, along with the rehabilitated We Jammin.

Given the significantly faster time posted in the 2000(1:39.4), as opposed to the 1000 (1:41.2), the inevitable question of whether or not heroine Dream Catcher will be competitive against the opposite sex has been raised legitimately. However, the five-pound sex allowance for the lone filly should be a significant factor since she has genuine finishing speed.

There is also the intriguing possibility that Strong Aveenu, third by a length, and/or Mohanlan, fourth by four lengths in the 2000, may have improved significantly. Victory for either Salute The Don or Dream Catcher will be an extra fillip for the promotion of the Jamaica Derby, with Triple Crown glory a major selling point on Independence Day.