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Racing on hold at Caymanas Park
October 30, 2025
SOLOMON Sharpe, chairman, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), yesterday confirmed damage to stables at Caymanas Park.
However, he pointed to its bread-and-butter off-track betting (OTB) network as the determinant for the resumption of live, and simulcast racing beamed from the United Kingdom and North America.
"Live horse racing has been suspended until further notice due to significant broadcast-infrastructure damage at OTB stations islandwide and, to an extent, at the racetrack itself," Sharpe pointed out.
"The racing surface is actually in immaculate condition, having benefited from the excess rainfall. Unfortunately, our broadcast booths atop the grandstand and camera towers were compromised," Sharpe explained.
MAJOR CONCERN
Also of major concern to the SVREL chairman is how soon its islandwide OTB partners, private entities, will be able to get their infrastructure up and running to accept Caymanas Park's broadcast signal.
Approximately 70 per cent of Caymanas Park's sales are off-site; bets placed at OTBs scattered across the island, more than 40 per cent of which would have sustained damage throughout Monday's passage of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.
"The entire network needs to be in place before we can move," said Sharpe, hinting at an overhaul of next month's racing calendar, which had the November 8 Jamaica Cup and Port Royal Sprint as win-and-you're-in races for the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile set for Saturday, December 6.
ADJUSTING SCHEDULE
A total of six racemeets, five Saturdays, starting this weekend, were scheduled for November. The weekend of the 15th-16th was earmarked to host the month's lone Sunday meet, a schedule which could be adjusted to accommodate lost days.
"It's up in the air. We are looking at all the possibilities," Sharpe commented when asked whether November's rescheduling could result in additional Sundays.
Meanwhile, repairs to stables which lost roofing are under way at the 196-acre plant.
"About 16 stalls were compromised, all those repairs are being effected," said Sharpe, naming trainers Anthony Nunes and Paul Smith whose barns lost roofing.
"At Nunes' barn, at least 10 stalls lost roofing and the concrete flooring was completely destroyed in two by an uprooted ficus tree. Smith lost six stalls," Sharpe added.
He pointed out that safety rails were either repaired or replaced on the racetrack for exercise gallops to resume this morning after being suspended yesterday and Monday.
