Racing abandoned at Caymanas Park due to unsafe track conditions

Racing at Caymanas Park was abandoned on Saturday after the jockeys deemed the racing surface unsafe for further competition due to inclement weather. The decision to call off the remainder of the card — races nine and ten on the 10-race programme — was taken after consultations between the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) stewards and representatives of the Jamaica Jockeys’ Guild, after complaints about the condition of the surface. Former champion jockey Dane Dawkins says safety is paramount, and that the risk taken by riders cannot be compensated for if an accident occurs. “It’s really terrible out there. If you had noticed, the race a while ago [eighth race], all of the horses swung wide at the turn and with that, anything can happen during the race,” Dawkins told the Sunday Observer. “A jockey can swing his horse out of the water and run into the next horse and cause damage right there. “It’s too sloppy and you have holes on the racing surface. Remember, the jockeys’ lives are out there and anything the jockeys say should go. We are the ones taking the risk, so we have to protect ourselves out here.” Track management confirmed the abandonment via a public address announcement, saying in part, “Races nine and ten have been abandoned as the jockeys say the track is unsafe to ride on.” Prior to the abandonment, the track had been officially listed as sloppy by the track superintendent.