Annual Hall of Fame race meet set for June 4

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The annual Hall of Fame raceday, put on by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) as a prelude to the Jamaica Derby, takes place at Caymanas Park on Saturday, June 4, signalling the start of Hall of Fame week of activities.

Details were outlined at Tuesday's launch at the Winchester Road offices of the JRC by general manager, Ruth-Ann Smith Sutherland, and CTL's racing secretary, Denzil Miller Jr.

The programme will feature the 16th running of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Stakes Trophy (Grade II) over 1200 metres for open allowance horses, with a purse of $886,500, of which $100,000 is donated by the commission.

The raceday also includes the annual Walkstackle Charity event for racing personnel and others, over 200 metres, proceeds of which will once again go to Children First - a community outreach organisation based in Spanish Town.

Vandrea Thompson, administrator of Children First, recalled that in addition to proceeds from the Walkstackle, the owner of last year's winner RONRON, Kenval Wallace, contributed $50,000 from his share of the winner's purse and she was indeed thankful.

The week of activities will begin with the race meet, culminating with the annual Hall of Fame awards banquet on the night of Thursday, June 9, at the Terra Nova Hotel, two days before the 91st running of the Derby.

The function was cancelled at the eleventh hour last year due to social unrest in the Corporate Area.

Supreme Ventures Limited has donated $500,000 to assist with the banquet, while Richard Bowen, marketing consultant, made a $100,000 contribution on behalf of Fidelty Motors towards the race meet.

According to Smith-Sutherland, there will be seven inductees this year (including two from last year's aborted function). The list, to be announced on the night of the dinner, includes two racehorses, a jockey, a groom and three racing personalities.

Miller, in providing raceday details, recalled that last year the race was won in stakes record time by RONRON, and it could well produce another champion in the making this year.

Some of the probable starters are LIFEISJUSFORLIVING, MINISTEROFJUSTICE, CASSANOVA BOY, SIR VON, BRASH & SASSY, COMMANDER ZERO, CLASSY PROSPECT, FLUFFY, BOLDLY FORMAL, and the Kenval Wallace-owned American filly, DANCE SO SWEET.

In his address, JRC chairman Rudolph Muir, in his capacity as chairman of the Caymanas Park Divestment Task Force, disclosed that several persons have made submissions and there has been a two-week extension of the original deadline, to May 31.