Int’l Women’s Day race derailed by global system failure
IN a dramatic twist to the celebration of International Women’s Day at Caymanas Park on Saturday, the $1.25million International Women’s Day Trophy feature was cancelled owing to a global tote system failure.
A source told the Jamaica Observer that a satellite was seriously damaged by strong winds in the United States, affecting several countries, including Jamaica. The event occurred following the ninth event on the 10-race card, causing a considerable delay in the pay-off.
Up to press time, news concerning the international tote delay and dividends of the ninth race had not been made public. Live racing at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida, United States, was also cancelled.
International Women’s Day recognises and honours women’s social, economic, cultural, and political contributions in various fields.
The International Women’s Day Trophy, which was to be the 10th race on the day, is an Overnight Allowance contest for three-yearolds and upward going one mile and was planned by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) to commemorate the progress made by its six female stewards as well as the secretary in the Stewards’ Department.
The six female stewards are Nichola Green, Sharlene Simms-bailey, Trisha Dixon, Lorna Bagwandeen, Annakay Barrett, and Alicia Lindo.
Three of these (Green, Simmsbailey, and Dixon) are race-day stewards, meaning that they work only on race days, while the remaining three are operations stewards employed full-time by the JRC, with Lindo gaining recognition as an internationally accredited steward.
Janet Peart-morant is the long-standing secretary in the Stewards’ Department.
Meanwhile, Box Box, trained by Owen Sharpe and ridden by Jerome Innis, was the winner of the ninth event before racing was halted. The race was a Restricted Allowance IV contest for native-bred four-year-olds and upward (non-winners of three) and imported four-year-olds and upward (non-winners of two) over seven furlongs (1,400m).
Box Box is owned by Solomon Sharpe, the executive chairman of Supreme Ventures and Racing Entertainment Limited.
No jockey or trainer had more than one winner on the day.
Racing continues next Saturday.