Jimmie Says … Dark corner on the horizon for local breds

Sunday’s Labour Day Trophy, won by American NAUTICAL STAR, re-emphasised the importance to the local breeding industry for the urgent installation of a top-level race confined to native-breds, bearing a purse second only to the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile.

With Hajal’s Thoroughbred’s Instagram notifications constantly touting horses “headed for Jamaica” from its family-run-United-States-Department-of-Agriculture-approved pre-export quarantine facility in Florida, soon, only an exceptional local-bred will be able to win an overnight-allowance race.

Simply put, outside of futurity races such as the Guineas, derby, St Leger, Oaks, and Winston Griffiths Classic, dog will soon nyam three-year-old local-breds’ supper, confining them and their older peers to years of misery for owners, unable to supplement their keep through no fault of their own but instead, a lack of representation by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association of Jamaica (TOBA).

Itis only a matter of time before two-time runner-up LEGACY ISLE, NAUTICAL STAR, IMJUSTAGIRL, SIR DON, and other foreigners relegate locals MONEY MARKET, ZULU WARRIOR, MARK MY IDENTITY, and DON KWESI from the points race for a Mouttet Mile gate, leaving them to the Bruceontheloose undercard, a six and a half furlong event won by American OF A REVOLUTION last year.

Therefore, using another Jamaican proverb, ‘anyweh dem tun, macca a guh jook dem’, describing the chances of any native-bred to promote local breeders on the biggest day of Jamaica’s horse-racing industry, televised to North America and beyond.

Asking, “Why TOBA?”, is all but a rhetorical question. TOBA, as its name suggests, should be batting for the longevity and viability of a horse-racing industry built on the foundation of local-bred stock.

Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), as the promoter of live local horse racing, took the decision to reinvent the Diamond Mile, once sponsored by the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC), as the Mouttet Mile, under the patronage and sponsorship of the Mouttet family.

Local-breds are more than welcome to compete in the Mouttet Mile, previously handed a win-and-you’re-in spot for landing the 12-furlong Jamaica Derby, which ABILITY obliged by placing second to American Rough Entry in 2023 when the purse stood at US$150,000 for its second running.

Duke had placed second to American Excessive Force in the Mouttet Mile’s inaugural running in 2022 with the purse at US$125,000. FURTHER AND BEYOND placed fourth in 2024, the purse at US$250,000. For last year’s US$300,000 purse, the presence of local-breds was almost symbolic, proving the higher the purse climbs, fewer native runners will get a gate, more so earn a dollar.

Should SVREL be hauled over the coals for staging the richest horse race in the Caribbean, which incentivises owners to import ready-made runners such as ROUGH ENTRY and LEGACY ISLE or invest in the likes of RIDEALLDAY, FUNCAANDUN, and IMJUSTAGIRL?

TOBA should be making representation to the BGLC for full sponsorship of a 10-furlong event restricted to native-breds from the 2.5 per cent of gross profit that it rakes in from local and overseas racing sales.

Unlike the Jamaica Racing Commission, which has direct regulatory oversight of the local racing industry, the BGLC merely acts as a bookkeeper whose primary authority is that of the gaming and lottery sectors.

The BGLC does pay over 1.5 per cent from its 2.5 to breeders’ bonus but should seriously be brought to book by TOBA for further contribution outside of staging its BGLC Raceday at Caymanas park.

The JRC should not be let off the hook, hauling in 12.5 per cent of gross sales, local and overseas racing, contributing 4.5 per cent to breeders’ bonus, leaving an eight per cent largesse, horse-racing money to fund an entity that can very well be grandfathered to the BGLC, which is rolling in dough from gaming-machine and lottery revenue.

TOBA, it’s not rocket science. Direct even a 10th of energy towards your constituents, owners and breeders, who will then start tripping over themselves, importing more mares, possibly in-foal, trying to catch a cheat code for a race restricted to native-breds, second only in purse value to the Mouttet Mile, which they already have no chance of winning.