Resanding of Caymanas under way
Published:Monday | April 12, 2021 | 12:17 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment General Manager Lorna Gooden says the resanding of the track at Caymanas Park will be done to international standard.
The three-day project began yesterday and no work-out of horses will take place in that time.
The surface has been blamed in recent times for a number horses breaking down during exercise and on race days. It has also been blamed for a number of falls involving jockeys on race day.
“What we strive to do in everything that we do is to do it to international and best-practice standards,” Gooden said.
“We are expecting that it will be a good outcome, continuing on the path that we have strived to maintain since we have taken over operations.
“The surface has always been good, and we will continue to do our work and our best to maintain it at international standards.”
Gooden says that the closure of the track will disrupt training of a number of horses but says the process had to take place.
“I am sure that it is [an inconvenience], but I am sure that it is something that is well worth it,” she said. “We have been affected by the curfew, and our operations have been shut down for the weekend anyway, so what we have tried to do is to utilise the time wisely to do what is required now.”
Trainer Ian Parsard welcomes the work, saying it will benefit the stakeholders at Caymanas.
“I think that proper maintenance of the racetrack has to be a priority because without a good racetrack, we will have a number of breakdowns and without the horses, we won’t be able to have a good racing product,” he said.
“The resanding of the track is an exercise that is required to be done ever so frequently, and having seen that the resanding is going to be done, I think that’s a good move because it is part of the right overall maintenance of the track that is needed.”