Seven-year-old bay horse Chitu Prince captured last Saturday’s (January 6, 2024) fifth race to provide recently licensed trainer Andre Adams with that long-awaited first win.

Adams was among 39 conditioners who graduated from the 2023 Jamaica Racing Commission’s (JRC) Trainers’ Training programme on May 12.

Chitu Prince‘s win came in a four-year-old and upward Optional Claiming ($250,000-$200,000) call going 5 furlongs straight.

Ridden by Tevin Foster, Chitu Prince disputed the early lead with Absolute Blue (Shavon Townsend) and Chiney Music (Sadiki Blake) when the start button was pressed. Chitu Prince maintained a steady gallop until crossing the dummy rails when he drew away to win easily by 10 lengths in a time of 1:02.1.

“The new year has started well for me, and I must give thanks. I have a small barn, so I knew that my first win was going to take some time, but it came today, and I am happy, and I give thanks for it. I am looking forward to better things now,” Adams told the Jamaica Observer‘s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“The plan going forward is to try and get some horses and win some races. We are aiming to take it to another level and try to win some Classic races and other big races as well. We have our eyes on that, but we know it is going to take time, as racing is a game that you have to think about long term.

“You don’t get everything at the same time. We know we have a lot of road ahead of us, but it just started, and we are in it for the long haul,” he further added.

Adams then shared his journey into the racing industry.

“Since I was a boy growing up, I have been involved in the sport of horse racing. I used to live near the racetrack, so I came to the races regularly, and from there, my love for the sport grew.

“Plus, a trainer used to live on my road, so the encouragement was always there. I started with trainer Noel Freeman, and then went on to Barry Dawes, Victor Williams, and Carl Anderson to get to where I am right now,” Adams shared.