Mouttet Mile prize rises to US$250,000

THE CONDITIONS for the Caymanas Park marquee race day Mouttet Mile Invitational were announced on Tuesday in a media launch at the AC Hotel. The race is set for December 7, 2024.

The Mouttet Mile Invitational is an event that features a maximum 16 horses, with 10 spots reserved for horses domiciled in Jamaica while the remaining six spots are reserved for international horses. Should there be a shortage of international participants; the unused spots will be filled by horses domiciled locally.

Entrants will be determined based on the highest year-to-date earnings during the period of January 1, 2024, through November 30, 2024.

The Mouttet Mile stands as the Caribbean’s most anticipated race of the year and boasts the record for the largest purse in the Englishspeaking Caribbean. This year’s staging will be no different, with the 2024 purse being set at a historic US$250,000 (Approximately J$38,714,575.00).

Solomon Sharpe, executive chairman of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), said he is excited for the race day and believes that this year’s staging will draw a lot of interest from the public.

Sharpe added that he believes that the Mouttet Mile will help to place Caymanas Park as the preferred horse racing destination in the Caribbean.

“We were thrilled with the success of last year’s event, and we are eager to capitalise on that momentum to make this year’s event even better. Our goal is to solidify Caymanas Park’s position as the premier destination for racing in the Caribbean.

“We are already witnessing increased interest from jockeys, owners, sponsors, and other racing enthusiasts, both locally and internationally, who are eager to participate in the hottest race in the Caribbean. The announcement of the increased purse of US$250,000 for this year has further enhanced the event’s appeal for prospective participants. Now that we have made the conditions public, we anticipate even greater interest in the Mouttet Mile.”

The Mouttet Mile is a grade one event for native-bred and imported three-year-olds and upward, covering a mile.

Last year’s staging was won by the imported thoroughbred ROUGH ENTRY, guided by French-born jockey Julien Leparoux.

IAN ALLEN/PHOTOGRAPHER Director of Tourism Donovan White (left) with Christopher Wills (centre), vice-president of operations, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited and Gary Peart (right), chairman, Supreme Ventures Limited, at the launch of the Mouttet Mile at the AC Hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday.