Howard Hamilton

"BEHOLD, I saw a new earth and a new heaven for the old earth and the old heaven have passed away". This is indeed the opportunity for a new approach, not only for the racing sector but for the entire gaming portfolio.

We need now a clear policy on the way forward. The sectoral interests must come together and chart a path for the good of all. The vacillations and promises of the past must be part of our darkest history. No matter what our political persuasion may be, this is a time for collective engagement. Decisions to move forward with sustained economic growth must take precedence over political considerations. Racing interests stand ready to help chart that new path.

The meet at Saratoga is now over and people wonder why I make this "annual pilgrimage" every year. I have been doing so uninterrupted for the past 15-plus years. It is almost impossible to describe.

quality racehorses

For me it has been intermittently exhausting, stressful, exhilarating, joyful and disappointing. But I will take a miserable day at Saratoga before any other day in any other place. I really can't describe it; you experience it. First, the six-week race meeting brings together the greatest concentration of quality racehorses in the world, piloted by the finest jockeys and prepared by the the best trainers of every era.

The grand old man - H. Allan Jerkins - matches his own old-world conditioning brilliance with that of the new Turks, Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott and others. Inexplicably, the atmosphere in this lovely old town is charged with marvellous goodwill and warmth. The citizenry is as excited as we who visit. Everywhere, there are flowers, food, drink, parties and celebrities, with the undisputed grande dame of the town, Marylou Whitney, dispensing glamour like a fairy godmother.

It was John Nerud, the trainer of Forego, who held that "a bad day at the races is better than a good day any place else" and Saratoga testifies to that.

Exciting end

This summer's meeting came to an exciting end on Monday. The prestigious Jockey's championship was not decided until the last day. Cornelio Velasques, the Venezuelan rider with 41 winners, led by 10 with six days remaining and everybody thought that with a lead of that magnitude, and riding as aggressively as he had been all of the meet, his championship was assured. But, Kent Desormeaux, who had shared the lead at various times throughout the meet thought differently and won 10 races between August 30 to September 2 to tie for first place.

It was not until the fourth race on Monday when Velasquez with 44 winners beat Desormeaux with 43, into second place that the championship was decided.

Ironically, Desormeaux lost the last race by a whisker - such are the fortunes of racing. Incidentally, readers may wish to know that the agent looking after Cornelio is none other than our own Richard DePass, Champion Jockey (1970) and Hall of Fame inductee some years ago. Jamaicans are really an outstanding group of people, displaying international excellence in so many different fields of endeavour.

The trainer's championship saw consistent five-time winner Todd Pletcher being dethroned by, none other than Mott, the same trainer that he had dethroned some five years ago. Mott dominated the meet with a strong string of excellent two-year-olds. One to note is MAJESTIC WARRIOR who came from some 10 lengths off the pace to win the prestigious Hopeful Stakes on Monday.

This capped a spectacular meet for Mott, who led all trainers with 27 wins, 11 of those with two-year olds. The combination of Mott and Desormeaux was the "train" to be on. Unfortunately for me, I was an unbeliever even when the statistics were there for all to see.

Breeders' cup

We now move on to the Breeders' Cup and while it is early days yet, there are some outstanding performers that are worth noting. LAWYER RUN has no equal in the Classic, DREAM RUSH and LA TRIVIATTA seem destined to fight out the sprint. The two-year old races seem more open , but the come-from-behind run of MAJESTIC WARRIOR in the Hopeful puts him at the top of the list with IRISH SMOKE winner of the Spinaway for fillies looking to be the ones to be considered at this time.

The body and mind are now back to reality and the hope is that we will indeed have a new beginning reflecting the changes that the people have demanded.