Horse of the Year Miracle Man in his cart before leaving the quarantine base at the Noman Manley International Airport before a parade in his honour on December 28, 2006. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
The historic win of 'superhorse' MIRACLE MAN in the US$100,000 Confraternity Classic in Puerto Rico on December 9 was undoubtedly the high point in horse racing last year.
Indeed, the 12-month period under review was all about the 2005 'Horse of the Year' MIRACLE MAN, the big chestnut 4-y-o colt having the distinction of becoming the first Jamaican horse to win a prestigious international race on foreign soil.
He thus stamped himself as the best native bred horse in the 47-year history of Caymanas Park, surpassing such out-standng campaigners as NONE SUCH, LEGAL LIGHT, EROS, THE VICEROY, ROYAL DAD, HARLEQUIN RIMSKY, I'MSATSIFED and A KING IS BORN.
Owned and bred by Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany, groomed by Anthony McLeod and trained by the legendary 'Hall of Famer' Allan 'Billy' Williams, MIRACLE MAN was unbeaten in 10 starts during the course of the year. The son of Law Of The Sea-Hya won nine consecutive grade one trophy races (including a second consecutive Superstakes), all under heavy imposts, before capping the season with his memorable win over 9-1/2 furlongs at the El Commandante racetrack in Puerto Rico, with Florida-based Panamanian jockey Cecilio Penalba aboard.
EMPHATIC VICTORY
Racing fans who watched the race live from Puerto Rico will long remember how MIRACLE MAN (6-1) came through entering the straight and moved away for an emphatic victory, beating the Mexican horse YACK LIDER and the 2005 Caribbean Classic winner BORRASCOSO from host country Puerto Rico in the valuable four-year-olds and up race.
The victory was greeted by prolonged cheers and wild celebrations among racing fans, the likes of which have never been seen at Caymanas Park. It was sheer pandemonium.
Following the fiasco of the previous year when MIRACLE MAN was ruled out of the Caribbean Classic after testing positive for the anti-bodies of tick fever while quarantined in Miami, both the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) and Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) pooled resources from early to ensure that MIRACLE MAN would be Jamaica's representative to the Confraternity Classic.
The win was definitely a shot in the arm for local racing, and the breeding industry should be the chief benefactor. As the noted owner/breeder, Howard Hamilton, wrote in his weekly column in The Gleaner.
"We have created interest in the wider Caribbean and Latin American racing markets. We must not allow that momentum to be lost."
BRIGHT SPOT
Another bright spot in 2006 was the riding of the apprentices, 15 of whom graduated from the Jockeys' School and began riding on Saturday, July 29. By the end of the year 12 of them combined had ridden over 100 winners.
The standouts were champion apprentice Carlton Malcolm who managed to make the top 10 with 23 winners, Javour and Jason Simpson (no relation), along with Andre Martin, who at age 17 was the youngster in the batch.
Although failing to achieve 100 winners last year, Trinidadian Brian Harding retained the jockeys' championship with 97 winners, thwarting a spirited challenge from ace lightweight Wesley Henry in the closing weeks of the season to win comfortably in the end.
Harding, who rode mainly for his guv'nor, trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and Barbadian owner Elias Haloute, won the Derby aboard the Eraldo Fullerton-trained RANSOM MAN and a number of races aboard MIRACLE MAN as well.
STRONG CONTENDERS
Former champions Trevor Simpson and Charles Hussey were strong contenders during the first seven months, but faltered badly in the latter stages. Hussey, however, won the first three classics aboard RAMPAGE (2000 Guineas) and the filly SWING BY (1000 Guineas and Oaks). SWING BY was subsequently shipped to Trinidad by her Trinidadian owner Bernard Dulal-Whiteway and quickly established herself as a top class racer in the twin-island republic.
Despite not having a horse finishing in the top 10 list of stakes winners during the season, Wayne DaCosta comfortably retained the trainers' championship with 67 winners and a record $36.5 million in stakes, ahead of Nunes, 14-time champion Philip Feanny and the vastly-improved Gary Subratie.
Howard Hamilton won the owners' championship for the first time ahead of Elias Haloute, while his HAM Stables retained the breeders' title.
While MIRACLE MAN stood tall, the Feanny-trained American-bred four-year-old colt QUIET STRENGTH made a big impact in the top sprints, winning six of his seven races, mostly under crushing imposts with leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths in the saddle.
No divestment
He appeared to be on a collision course with MIRACLE MAN in the Eileen Cliggott Trophy over 1300 metres in August, but this dream clash failed to materialise due to his untimely death.
Feanny also lost the 2003 'Horse of the Year', A KING IS BORN (among others), who died in the last quarter, but the performances of his half brother and stable-companion DISTINCTLY IRISH and the unbeaten two-year-old colt RUM TALK served to cushion the blow.
Yet another year passed without the pending divestment of Caymanas Park taking place. As a result, the promoters (CTL) could do little or no upgrading work in this climate of uncertainty.
In an inactive hurricane season, wages was a contentious issue, yet there was no disruption of racing. Jockeys received a whopping 150 per cent pay hike ($1,000 per losing ride up from $400) by the JRC effective March 1, but wage talks involving the grooms almost reached the point where the threat of strike action by them almost materialised, before agreement was reached during the second quarter.
The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders' Association (TOBA) staged a highly successful yearling sale at Caymanas Park in November, thanks to the presence of many overseas buyers from the eastern Caribbean.
All in all it was a year worth remembering.
- Orville Clarke
