Retired jockey Donald Andrade (right) receives his Hall of Fame citation from Ed Barnes, Jamaica Racing Commission Hall of Fame trustee member, at the annual pre-Derby awards dinner on Thursday night at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston. - Winston Sill/Freelance PhotographerOrville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Former top flight heavyweight jockey Donald Andrade was among five new inductees to the Hall of Fame of thoroughbred racing in Jamaica, this at the annual pre-Derby/Hall of Fame awards dinner at the Jamaica Pegasus on Thursday night.
Other inductees were veteran groom Gerald 'Guardie' Anderson, who is still active in the profession at the stables of champion trainerWayne DaCosta; retired starter Cecil C. Langford; the 2003 'Horse of the Year' A King Is Born; and the 1962 champion sire Heir Apparent, who made his mark as a stallion from the 1950s while standing at Y.S. Stud Farm, operated by the Brownes.
CREATED HISTORY
Andrade, who now resides in New York, created history as a 15-year-old apprentice by winning the last official race at Knutsford Park aboard Dinner Dish in 1958, and despite his weight, rode a total of 228 winners until his retirement in 1977. He had an appetite for the big occasion and was associated with three Horse of the Year champions - the legendary Rameses with whom he won the Jamaica Guineas and Derby in 1968, Persian Coin in 1969 and Reprieve in 1971.
His other big winners came with Keyboard in the 1969 Guineas, Relentless and Rahtid in the 1968 and 1971 Jamaica Oaks, respectively, and Charlotte Russe in the 1970 St. Leger and Governor General's Stakes.
Upon his retirement from the saddle, Andrade turned his attention to training, saddling 118 winners, while apprenticing his two sons and Boyd.
GERALD HARRISON: One of the most outstanding grooms to grace the sport, he was crowned champion in 1984, and in a career spanning 30 years, has looked after some top-notch horses, including Royal Run, Spectacular Run, Mr. Sensa-tional, Run Tat Run and Apache Girl, all trained by DaCosta.
CECIL C. LANGFORD: Was the official starter at both Knutsford Park and Caymanas Park from 1945 to 1971. As a young man he rode in amateur races at Knutsford Park and was an accomplished polo player as well. He was cited in the other racing personalities category.
A KING IS BORN: Voted 'Horse of the Year' in 2003, this chestnut colt by Royal Minister out of the 1990 Jamaica Derby winner Distinctly Native had a truly outstanding racing record before his untimely death late last year.
Owned by Howard Hamilton, trained by Philip Feanny and bred by Ken Gooden, he won 21 races from only 27 starts, including the 2003 Two Thousand Guineas and Derby winner, as well as the Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint, among other important races. Hamilton was on hand to receive the award.
Guest speaker at the function was Joe Hadeed, chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority and a four-time champion trainer in Trinidad.
