Weeks after Jamaica sustained significant loss of life and damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, Caymanas Park outside of Kingston is set to resume racing Nov. 15.
The Category 5 storm, which made landfall in western Jamaica Oct. 28, is responsible for 45 confirmed casualties. According to the Associated Press, the death toll is expected to rise.
While Caymanas is on the other end of the island from where the storm delivered its greatest amount of destruction, the track and its facilities did not go unscathed.
There was no loss of life—human or equine—but Caymanas Park executive chairman Solomon Sharpe said that the facility sustained more than JA$100 million (approx. US$618,000) in damages. This includes five barns that sustained damage to their roofs. Sharpe added that Caymanas' off-track betting capabilities are currently at 70%.
Sharpe said that within 48 hours of the hurricane passing, the staff at Caymanas were able to get the track in operational mode. Within 72 hours, Caymanas had its simulcast up and running. They then spent the subsequent 2 1/2 weeks "to make sure we understood where all the damage was done."
"We had to work around the clock and do all that we could to get the show back up and running," Sharpe said.
Part of the first weekend of racing at Caymanas since Hurricane Melissa will be two Jamaican grade 1 'Win and You're In' races for the Mouttet Mile: the Jamaica Cup and the Port Royal Sprint. Because of the hurricane, the Jamaica Cup was pushed back eight days. Kentucky-bred Funcaandun, who won last year's Mouttet Mile, will compete in the Jamaica Cup and will likely need to win to have a chance to defend his title.
The Port Royal features Dothraki, a 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, who trained under Bob Baffert for the first three starts of his career. Dothraki was a $600,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and won his debut at Los Alamitos Race Course in June 2024. Following a pair of sixth-place finishes at the allowance level, he sold for $40,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale. He won an allowance race at Caymanas Oct. 19 for trainer Jason DaCosta.
Both races will be held Nov. 16. In all, Saturday and Sunday racing will feature 19 races, each with fields of 10 or more horses.
Sharpe said that horsemen have been "excited" with the condition of the track, which is predominantly dune sand.
Caymanas Park will also host the US$225,000 Mouttet Mile Invitational Dec. 6. The race is broadcast in the United States through a partnership with FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association. This is the second year of a two-year agreement between those entities and Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, which operates the track. The Mouttet Mile and other races on the card from Caymanas will be part of the Cigar Mile (G2) broadcast on FOX's "America's Day at the Races" telecast.
Getting both the track's live racing and simulcast back is more than just having a business up and running. There are cultural and community aspects that it provides for people.
"The damage, even though it is damaging to us as a business and took a toll on us, pales in comparison to what happened on the rest of the island," Sharpe said. "We are trying to build back our thing so we can support the rest of the island."
Sharpe said that in a time of need, it should be expected that those with strength would help those who are weak.
"It is not just the economic reach, but the social impact racing has in Jamaica; it is super important for us to get it back up. ... It's an important part of our social fabric," he said, noting that racing may bring a measure of hope and joy to those struggling to recover from the hurricane.
Because racing from Caymanas is simulcast in the United States and elsewhere, the track plans to use this weekend's racing card as an outreach opportunity. Sharpe said simulcasting connects Jamaica with 147 countries. He hopes that people wanting to help will "rally far and wide" by donating through organizations such as American Friends of Jamaica.
American Friends of Jamaica, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity based in New York City, launched its Melissa-related fundraising efforts two days before the storm hit the island. Initially, its goal was $1 million, but thanks to matching donations from organizations such as Wegman's grocery stores, the AFJ elevated its goal to $5 million. AFJ executive director Caron Chung said that while the $5 million-plus they have raised thus far is a significant amount, it only covers a fraction of what is needed. It hopes to raise $10 million.
"I think we're in the process of assessing with government input," Chung said. "We have a meeting (Nov. 14) with some local developers, contractors who said that they will contribute labor (and) equipment if we are able to secure materials. We have the owner of one of the largest construction manufacturing companies offering to give us materials at cost. So those are the kinds of conversations and discussions we're in the midst of."
AFJ is focusing on four areas: adopt a clinic, adopt a school, adopt a community, and restore the livelihood of farmers in farming communities.
