Galloping over a cliff

By Donovan Wilson

In all my years at the racetrack as jockeys' agent and racing journalist, I've never seen the horse racing industry in such a bad state. I have some questions for the board and management of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL).

(1) Is it that the racing office staff is incompetent, or are they super lazy?

(2) Is the Racing Office using the same condition book Chris Armond wrote more than 20 years ago?

(3) Does the CEO have any responsibility for the Racing Office, or is he just sitting down and letting the Racing Office do whatever it wants?

(4) Are the chairman and his board taking notice of this?

Well, I am just a lowly president of the jockeys' agents, but I can sing every line in the condition book, and that is not good. What this means is that the only tools used by the Racing Office to put together a condition book, which is the foundation of any racing programme, are cut and paste.

It's time for a change.

When I last checked on Trinidad racing, they have 400 horses, run 46 racedays per year, and offer 10 races per raceday, while we here in Jamaica have 1,100 horses; run 80 racedays per year; and offer nine races per day. Did the CTL board or CEO instruct Denzil Miller and his team to offer nine races per day? Is this a scheme to cut purses without a public announcement?

March is the last month in the financial year, and CTL is offering fewer races? Why?

In this day and age, why are our three-year-olds giving a weight to older horses? Why is the racing office allowed to simply repeat the same thing over and over every day? Are they incapable of tweaking some of the races to improve competitiveness, or have they run out of ideas?

I know for a fact that racing secretary, Denzil Miller, learned at the feet of the great Chris Armond and was privileged to be sent to school by CTL, SO WHAT DID HE DO WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY? Did he fail or pass any of the courses he took? If he passed his exams, it's not showing in the races he and his team are writing. If he failed, the big question is, how is he qualified to be a racing secretary?

Mr CEO, we all need some answers. Mr CEO, are you going to just sit there and let Denzil Miller and his team close down the track with these races they're putting to suffering owners and trainers?

In 1975, Jamaica had 500 horses, 81 racedays, and 10 races per raceday. In 2014, we have 1,100 horses, 80 racedays, and nine races per day. We're going backwards.

If Denzil Miller can't manage the job as racing secretary, it's time for him to go. Mr CEO, there are vibrant young people out there who are hungry for a job. Please step up to the plate now. Don't just sit and let racing go down by the day.

Donovan Wilson is president of the Jockeys' Agents Association, a horse racing analyst, and co-host of the radio programme 'The Angel and The Tout'. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and agentjocks@yahoo.com.