Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

IT IS I (right), responding to a strong ride from lightweight jockey Carlton Malcolm, holds off the fast-finishing 22-1 outsider MINISTEROFJUSTICE (Richard Mitchell) by a neck to win last Saturday's Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup) over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park. Owned by Elias Haloute, IT IS I (6-1) was one of four winners for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes on the card. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

The 13th annual Hall of Fame raceday hosted by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), in association with Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), is scheduled for Caymanas Park on Saturday, June 7.

This was announced at yesterday's launch at the Winchester Road offices of the JRC. Feature event will the 13th running of the Hall of Fame Stakes Trophy (Grade II) to be contested by open allowance horses over 1200 metres.

The race offers a total purse of $600,000 of which $50,000 is being donated by regulators of thoroughbred racing, the JRC.

Starters

Secondary feature on the card is the Ren Gonsalves Memorial Cup run in memory of the late chairman of both the JRC and the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission. This is an overnight allowance race over 2000 metres.

Probable starters for the Hall of Fame Stakes Trophy are SUPER DAVE, SMOOTHABILITY, THE BOMBER, RIGMAROLE, CRUCIAL POINT, GRACE MARIE, NASATOL, ACCOMPONG, NATURALLY ROYAL, IVAN THE TERRIBLE, BULLET TRAIN, JACK SPARROW, FREE FALL, CHADMAN and TOOT DI HOOT, who won last Saturday.

Last year, the race was won by the subsequent champion sprinter, MUSICAL MAESTRO, in a bang-up finish, also involving CALABASH BAY, MEDICAL REPORT and CLASSY BOY PETE.

Walkstacle charity race

The remaining nine races on the programme will be named in honour of Hall of Fame inductees: Winston Griffiths OD, Philip Feanny OD, Donald Andrade, Leslie McRae, A King Is Born, Heir Apparent, Cecil C. Langford, Gerald Harrison and Caroline Park.

Other events on the day, billed 'The Fun Cyan Dun', are a jockey look-a-like contest and a walkstacle charity race over 200 metres on which betting will be conducted. Proceeds will go to the St Monica's Home for the Elderly. There will also be spot prizes and giveaways to lucky patrons.

In his address, Rudolph Muir, chairman of the JRC, disclosed that this year the commission would not be inducting anyone to the Hall of Fame, but promised that "we need to ensure that we have as full a slate as possible next year."

Despite no induction function, Muir said the JRC would have a prelude to derby on the compound and this would celebrate last year's Derby winner THE BOMBER.

"Is the racing glass half empty or half full?" he asked and urged the promoters to package and bring their product to the public in a different way "or you will not be able to attract new people".

Safety of horses

Noting that local racing had a tremendous fan base, Muir said we have a lot to be thankful for, but there was a lot more that could be done.

"We need to ensure that the contributions of racing people are never forgotten ... hence the Hall of Fame of Thoroughbred Racing," he added.

Muir went on to point out that internationally there had been a lot of talk about the safety of racehorses against the background of the filly EIGHT BELLS demise in the recent Kentucky Derby.

He said there was a move afoot overseas to have kinder surfaces, and California, in particular, has mandated that every track must have a synthetic surface. Even the United States Senate, he said, had asked for information on catastrophic breakdown.

Synthetic racing surfaces

However,president of Thoroughbred Owners' and Breeders' Association, Howard Hamilton, in a brief response, later shot down the benefit of synthetic racing surfaces, adding that some jurisdictions in the United States have begun to have serious misgivings on such surfaces. Hamilton said breeding techniques have contributed mainly to the catastrophic breakdown of horses.

Muir also spoke on the testing of steroids internationally. But in the end, he conceded that "The glass is more half full than half empty".

Also speaking were the general manager of the JRC, Ruth-Ann Smith-Sutherland, along with CTL's executive manger for marketing, Millicent Lynch, and racing secretary, Denzil Miller Jr, who provided raceday details.